An Extraordinary Boy and His Son
by J.R.Chills
Summary: After the Cell Games Gohan was broken, he struggled with the death of his father for months until Shenron the Eternal Dragon was summoned and he was mysteriously thrust 20 years into the past. Join Gohan in his emotional journey of healing through the original events of Dragon Ball as his now 12-year old father unknowingly works to rebuild his son's self-esteem and confidence.
1. Chapter 1: When am I?

"Please come home, I can't be here without you"

That's all Gohan could say while lying in his bed, gripping his sheets tightly in anguish. He stared through teary, blurred vision longingly into the foggy rain of a cold and damp fall evening. Every night, repeatedly, it was always the same collection of silent cries, almost like prayers.

_Please come home, I don't want to be alone anymore._

**_I'm sorry I failed you._**

Come_ back, please... _

_I still need you._

He often laid there in his bed crying, sometimes multiple times a day; he was always contemplating his failure, contemplating how much better his life would be if he had just listened to his father and used his newfound strength in Super Saiyan 2 to end it, to destroy Cell as quickly as he possibly could.

In the short few hours he was ever able to sleep, he always dreamed the same hellish nightmare: Cell in his second form, bloated with foam frothing from his insectoid mouth, and his father with his fingers to his temple disappearing into nothingness. His own heartbroken scream still haunted him "DADDY!".

He endured this constant suffering for months but to him, it didn't feel like months, it felt like decades. During the empty and awfully monotonous days, he was almost never allowed out of the house. Chi-chi's misguided attempt at protecting him was enforcing a strict all day studying policy. She had lost Goku and refused to allow Gohan to do anything she deemed unsafe. It was this constant isolation that prompted Piccolo to keep tabs on him. He stopped by daily, despite Chi-chi's unwelcoming attitude, to check up on the boy and ask the occasional 'how are your studies?' or 'keeping up on your training?'.

To Gohan, it was obvious Piccolo was deeply worried about him, even though he never said it out loud. But he knew that his worries were meaningless; no one could ever help him.

The daily studying and the nightmares took their toll on the eleven-year-old boy. He longed for his father and for the otherworld but he knew he couldn't leave his family behind, at least not yet. Chi-Chi was closer to giving birth with each passing day and Gohan knew he couldn't just abandon her. He had to be there for his new little brother no matter how much he didn't want to. So Gohan carried on; he never talked about the crushing guilt and pain that plagued him daily, he just kept studying.

Time passed and, as Gohans pencil glided along innumerable papers packed with calculus and physics, the fall came to an early close. An unusually frigid winter took its place, along with something entirely unexpected.

Gohan was woken up just before daylight, but not from his usual nightmares, he was awoken by the earth-rumbling sensation of the Eternal Dragon being summoned. Knowing that no one needed to use the Dragon Balls at the moment Gohan panicked, threw on his new purple training gi that Piccolo brought him just last week, and darted out the front door. He made it about a mile and a half away from the dragon before the wish was granted. He could faintly hear the booming voice of the green, snake-like Shenron through the whistling wind that enveloped him as he flew.

**YOUR WISH TO TRANSPORT YOURSELF AND THE ONE CALLED SON GOHAN TO THE PAST IS GRANTED! I WILL NOW TAKE MY LEAVE.**

Gohan, thinking he misheard the dragon, merely got part of a word out.

"W-wha-"

He suddenly felt himself being sucked through space and time, he was trapped in a spinning vortex that shook him violently, causing him to become extremely disoriented and nauseated. After an undetermined amount of time spent spinning Gohan was spat out and flung onto the ground, knocking what little air there was left out of his lungs. He laid there for a moment unable to pick himself up as his body readjusted to normality. When he gained the strength and clarity to sit up he looked around, everything seemed to be the same. He was still in the same hilly, rocky wasteland-ish type area as before, except now there was no snow anywhere and it was significantly warmer.

Despite no longer being dizzy it took him a moment to get his bearings and process what had just happened. His first instinct was to begin scanning for energies around him so he began searching, hoping to find the one who summoned the dragon. Strangely, he concluded no one was nearby. Confused, he broadened his search to a radius of about a hundred miles. When it became clear that no one was within that range he broadened it again, eventually feeling out roughly half the planet looking for any ki that felt even slightly malignant. Despite his best efforts he did not find whoever he was supposed to be looking for but he did feel a strange ki, it was very far away but felt oddly warm and comforting. Gohan studied it for a moment and then, like a mountain, the realization hit him. His heart began to beat out of his chest; he recognized that ki. His adrenaline, that was already pumping hard, began to overflow and he felt his knees begin to shake despite that he was now floating in the air.

_D-Daddy... is that you? How?... Wha-_

All other questions cleared from his mind as he felt the tiny amount of ki surrounding what was definitely his father.

_Why is your energy so low? You must be hurt!_

Gohan sped off as fast as he could into the direction where he felt Goku's ki at. He was so focused on his energy, he didn't even feel the tears in his eyes well up and spill over onto his face. He didn't understand exactly what was going on but if he was going to get to see his father he would seize the opportunity at any cost.

In the short span of a minute, he found himself coming upon an island featuring a green valley surrounded by two large mountains shrouded by large trees and thick forests. He looked to the valley, it housed a village consisting of no more than fifteen to sixteen huts and one large church-like structure. Separated and overlooking the village on a plateau, was a little pink house. Kame House.

_Wait...did I get transported to when you had the heart virus? But since when did Master Roshi move to this island? _He wondered.

He made it to the house and flew through the open second-story window extremely quickly, causing a shockwave of wind to blow throughout the room.

Goku, feeling the disturbance in the air, woke immediately and threw the covers off of himself. In his drowsy stupor, he stood ready to fend off whatever threat may be invading his masters home at such early hours in the morning. Gohan, startled by his father's reaction and confused by his appearance, flew back through the window just before he could be spotted.

"Hey! Who's there?!" Goku yelled across the empty room in a threatening manner. He was sure that he had heard or at least felt something shift inside the house. He stood straight and stiff on his bed in his traditional fighting stance but dropped his arms to his side when nothing attacked him.

"Come on, I'm sorry I yelled. Please come out..." He paused for a moment to give the mysterious entity that had disturbed him a chance to reveal itself. He sighed when no one appeared. "I know you're here. Im'a come get you since you don't want to show yourself!"

Goku got out of bed and searched every inch, every nook, every cranny of the room, and even the bathroom, before determining that whatever he'd felt was of his own imagination.

"Man, maybe it was just a bad dream," He said while climbing back into his wide bed. "That's it! No more of Launches cooking. I gotta' find my own food from now on."

Gohan waited until he felt his father fall asleep to relax. He sat on the roof with his head resting in his hands, so overwhelmed with all that had happened he didn't really know how to feel. His mind raced with different thoughts and emotions, anger, and sadness being the most prevalent, yet he felt a glimmer of hope knowing that whatever time he was stuck in, he was stuck in it with his father.

_I can't believe it, you're really here daddy._

_But you're so young now..._

He moved his fingers through his hair, trying in vain to calm himself down.

_What time did I get sent back to?_


	2. Chapter 2: Grampa's Hugs

Gohan attempted to piece together what time he was thrust into, and, as his adrenaline from seeing his father alive was finally wearing off, he noticed he felt nauseated again. He assumed that the nausea affecting him now was most likely a remnant of the nausea he felt after being shaken like a ragdoll in the time vortex. Realizing that he couldn't stay on the roof the whole night and risk either vomiting there or being spotted at some point, he decided to fly off into the islands thick, deep forests to find shelter.

Gohan raised himself into the air and chose at random a direction to fly in. Shortly after he began flying, he found it incredibly difficult to keep aloft, even flying at a slow pace seemed to intensify his nausea and as a result, he drooped lower and lower until he made contact with the ground where he immediately collapsed. He tried to sit up, supporting himself with his arms, but even that proved too strenuous. After a few attempts, he caved and reluctantly laid down on his back. He felt awful, just like he did when was out in the open years ago, in the first days of Piccolo's training for the Saiyans. But the thought of those days hardly crossed his mind, the only thoughts that really consumed him, before his nausea caused him to pass out, were of his younger self fishing and playing with his father in their favorite spring, under the only apple tree in their valley.

The morning sun rose up to meet the sea causing a gentle light to make the ocean waves shine. The lovely golden light had also made the surrounding island forests even more lush and beautiful, highlighting the many types of flowers and flora that were sprinkled across the landscape.

Gohan's piercing scream broke the peace of that early morning.

"DADDY!" He screamed.

He had experienced night terrors before but this was no ordinary night terror, it was far worse. His dream was vivid and real, he could physically feel Cell squeeze the life out of his father, crushing every bone in his already weak and exhausted body. Gohan seemingly was displaced outside of his own, and he watched himself just sit there. He was weeping as Cell finished off Goku and killed the others, laughing with pleasure after each one he killed.

Goku, due to his enhanced Saiyan senses, could hear the boys cries from within the forest. He quickly leaped from his bed, threw on his turtle hermit training gi, and ran outside.

"Flying Nimbus come to me!" He called out, and once the fluffy yellow cloud appeared in front of him he said, "C'mon nimbus somebody's in trouble. We've gotta help them!"

Once Goku stepped on the cloud it wasted no time in adhering to his command and flew off to where the screams emanated from.

When the nimbus stopped, Goku looked over its edge to see a small clearing in the forest, a point where the trees seemed to thin and light could break through the treetops. In that small clearing, he saw a purple outfitted boy rolling in the dirt, asleep and yet still screaming for his father. He hopped off the cloud and ran over to the crying stranger. He knelt by his side and shook him. "Hey! Hey! what's wrong? Did somebody hurt you?" Goku was so concerned over the possibility of enemies being nearby that he didn't even get the chance to see how similar the boy looked to him.

Gohan's nightmare suddenly ended and he stopped his screaming. He sat up, breathing heavily, still trembling from his nightmare as his blurry vision faintly determined the outline of his father, he snatched at him crying, "Oh Daddy! You're here! I missed you so much! It's been so awful without you! I... I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry about everything. I never meant to..." He couldn't bother finishing that thought and held even tighter as he drove himself deeper into Goku's gi.

Goku, surprised at the boy's strong and nearly painful grip, lightheartedly exclaimed, "Hey silly, I'm not your dad! My name's Goku. And if you needed a hug all you had to do was ask." Goku wrapped his arms tightly, but caringly, around the crying boy and soothingly said, "My grampa, he always told me that a hug was way more than just a hug. He said hugs were about warmth, comfort, and showing that you care. He was always telling me stuff like that, he always knew just what to do to cheer me up."

As Gohan calmed down and he began to realize his mistake. He remembered that this wasn't the Goku he knew, this wasn't the strong-shouldered man who was able to carry him on his back wherever they went or hold his hand as they walked through the woods together, this was just a boy looking to comfort a stranger. While still held in his father's familiar embrace, he sniffled as he said, "Oh I-I'm sorry, I get nightmares and I guess in the morning light, I thought you looked like someone else".

Goku replied, "That's ok, sometimes I get confu-" A sudden smell caused him to leave his sentence unfinished. This stranger smelled strange. He sniffed him, almost animalistically, his Saiyan senses confused by the odd yet familiar sweetness of his scent, it was nearly identical to his own.

"Huh that's funny, you smell just like me," Goku said as he gently pulled away from the hug. When he could clearly see Gohan's face he was bewildered "Woah! You look just like me too! You've even got some pretty crazy hair, how strange!"

Gohan blushed as his father touched his hair and then his own comparing how long and similar each black lock seemed to be. He thought his father seemed a little overly friendly, considering they had just met each other, but he allowed him to continue touching his hair. Gohan knew he had always been that way with everyone; his innocence was part of his charm.

"Yeah I guess we kinda' do look a little alike." Gohan said while looking away from his investigative father.

Goku paused for a moment and took in the oddly familiar facial features this stranger had, creating an uncomfortable silence as he observed him.

_Hm, he seems so familiar... I feel like I've seen him before. I wonder why he was out here all by himself? Maybe I should bring him back to Kame House. I'm sure Master Roshi can figure this all out. Too much of this thinking stuff makes my head feel weird..._

Before Gohan could break the silence himself, Goku posed a question "Hey, do you wanna' come meet my friend Krillin? He and I are training with Master Roshi to compete in the World Martial Arts Tournament! I actually think today is the day we leave for it."

Gohan knew he had no way out of this, he couldn't think of a single excuse that was anywhere near plausible. He didn't even know the name of the island he was on so posing as a local was out of the question. He only thought of one response, "Uh.. o-okay, sure".

Goku was ecstatic but before he could show him the way to Master Roshi he asked, "Oh, and hey, what's your name?"

Immediately Gohan began to sweat.

_I can't tell him my real name. That's Great Grandpa's name. He'll figure me out for sure._

He tried to think of a good alias and, suddenly, a memory came to him. He thought back to a show he'd seen once while his mother wasn't forcing him to study. It kind of had a similar plot to the predicament he found himself in now, he hesitantly responded: "Uh..my name is..Jack".

Goku laughed, "Jack, huh? Your name is funny, it reminds me of jumping jacks. That was one of grampa's favorite warmups".

As Goku began to lead the way, Gohan couldn't help but feel ashamed that he was caught up in some strange lie. Both his mother and father hated lying and he had always been taught never to do so, but, knowing how time travel worked, he didn't want to risk messing up this timeline's events and he knew he'd need to lie a little to do that.

After around fifteen minutes of walking, they reached the vicinity of Kame House. Launch had already gotten up and was cooking breakfast, the aroma of burning toast permeated the air. The two happened to walk through the front screen door just as Master Roshi and Krillin were walking down the steps.

"Good morning Goku." Master Roshi tiredly muttered still rubbing his eyes, adjusting to the Summer's bright and early morning sun. Krillin, who had just gotten off the last step, looked behind Goku and saw what looked like to be his clone but with different hair.

"Uh, G-Goku do I have a fever? Because I think I'm seeing two of you."

Goku happily and energetically explained, "Definitely not a fever. I found him outside in the forest, he was scared so I thought I would bring him here to see you guys! His name is Jack."

Master Roshi, focusing on the upcoming World Martial Arts Tournament, thought quietly to himself.

_Hm, not a bad name. Although, he definitely is strange... He looks so similar to Goku that if he wasn't wearing that purple gi I might have trouble telling the difference between the two._

Krillin asked inquisitively, "So is he fighting in the tournament too?"

Goku took a minute to respond, unsure of how to answer. "Hm, I don't know? Hey, Jack, are you going to compete?"

"I don't know...do you think I'd do well?" Gohan asked sheepishly, still standing in the front doorway.

Goku smiled and said, "Yeah absolutely! Even though when I found you, you were scared, I feel like you are really strong too!"

Although Gohan knew he outclassed everyone there by leagues, he still appreciated that same caring and genuine praise that his father always gave him. "Thanks, da-...Hm, Goku" Gohan felt his face get warmer, but thankfully, no one seemed to notice his slip up.

Launch announced that breakfast was ready and so everyone, excluding Gohan, quickly sat around the table as she brought out pancakes, eggs, hashbrowns, slightly burned toast, and bacon. Gohan's stomach rumbled,that nausea of the night prior was definitely gone now; he felt like he hadn't eaten in days. Goku heard the rumbling and laughed. "Hey, why don't you join us! Krillin doesn't like much and I promise I won't eat everything."

Gohan, still minding his manners, despite being so hungry he could feel his knees wobble, stated, "As long as Master Roshi says it's all right."

The still tired master could tell he was just trying to be polite and so he took pity on the poor boy. "Oh, sure you can. And, since you are competing, I might as well give you a lift to the tournament; although, I don't have a suit for you as I do for Krillin and Goku"

Gohan's smile formed and widened "That's more than I could ever have asked for, thank you so much, Master Roshi."


	3. Chapter 3: Journey to the Tourney!

As they sat enjoying breakfast, Master Roshi and Krillin slowly began to realize that Gohan could keep up with Goku's massive appetite. Neither said a word, they just stared as plate after plate of pancakes and bacon disappeared into the boys' stomachs. Master Roshi was so baffled he had to take a mental note of this unusual similarity.

_Something definitely isn't right here. The looks, the mannerisms, heck even the appetite, they are the same as Goku's. The only difference, besides the hair, is his ki. The boy's ki feels strange, righteous yet guilty, and extremely suppressed. This shy and happy facade seems to be only what he wants to show... I suppose it doesn't really matter, I could end the mystery now and just read his mind, but I want to see if I can get him to open up first._

After swallowing another mouthful of bacon Goku decided to take a short break to catch his breath, stuffing his face was hard work. He looked over at Gohans stack of plates which was almost as high as his. He was amazed and proudly exclaimed, "Wow! You're incredible Jack! I've never seen someone eat almost as much as me."

Gohan looked up from his food and gave a light-hearted reply, "Thanks Da-" Gohan stopped himself and pretended to choke on his food before downing an entire glass of water. He looked over again to see if his father had noticed his slip up which of course he hadn't, he was already back to eating his 12th plate of pancakes.

After Launch had cleaned up breakfast, Krillin and Goku went to throw on the suits that she had made for them while Master Roshi went to go get the car started, leaving Gohan sitting idly in the living room. He reflected quietly over the events of yesterday and tried to put a timeline together.

_Okay, I know that someone sent me sometime before the 21st World Martial Arts Tournament because dad just completed his training with Master Roshi. But why so far back? It doesn't make any sense to-_

Gohan's thoughts were interrupted by the pitter-pattering of Krillin and Goku's excited footsteps down the stairs. Goku anxiously said, "Come on guys! I can't wait! We gotta' go right now! It's going to be so cool! We get to fight all the strongest people in the whole world! It'll be so much fun!"

Master Roshi, as if hearing Goku's call, walked from the outside to the front door. "All right boys hop in the car! We're gonna' be late for our flight if we don't hurry!"

As everyone got into the vehicle Goku spoke out loud, not directly to anyone, but to anyone who would answer. "Um, what's a fly-ght"

Krillin lacked the patience to bother answering so Gohan tried to explain it to him.

"A flight is um, well, it's when you get on an airplane, which is like a big metal version of the Flying Nimbus, except it has wings like a bird. Once you're on, it takes you where you want to go." Gohan could see his answer had satisfied Goku's curiosity for a moment, but then his face contorted as he thought of another question. "Wait, how did you know about my Nimbus? You were still sleepy when I found you and it was gone by the time you were all the way up."

Gohan took a minute to come up with an explanation. "As I was waking up I heard it um...fly away. Also, my dad...he had one too"

Thinking back to all the fond memories of traveling through the air as a toddler with his father Gohan forgot where he was as he continued, " We used to fly everywhere together. Anywhere I asked Daddy, would always fly me there. We'd spend hours just seeing how fast we could go on it, or time how long it would take us to get to Mount Paozu and back in time for dinner-" Gohan was cut off by Goku.

"Really!? That's where I live! I thought I was the only person for miles! Grampa never told me we had neighbors. Jack, why didn't you come say hi? And if your dad can fly a nimbus I wanna' meet him, he must be really nice! And if he's your dad he must be stronger than you so he's gotta be like super strong!"

Gohan was confused at how his father knew he was strong, as far as he knew he'd kept his power level subdued this entire time. He dismissed his concern and cleverly responded with a lie to Goku's original question, even wrapping it up in some fake tears. "I'm sorry Goku but we don't live there anymore" Gohans crocodile tears turned real and he bowed his head as he whispered, "Not since my dad died."

Goku could tell his comments hit a nerve, he felt compelled to comfort Gohan. He lovingly grabbed his hands and said, "I'm sorry, I know how it feels to lose someone. My Grampa passed away a long time ago. Some monster came during the full moon and took him away from me while I was asleep. I still feel bad for not protecting him, but that's why I train now. So the next time, when I finally see that monster I know I'll make it pay for hurting my grampa!" Goku's eyes welled up with some tears but he quickly steeled himself and wiped them away, returning to his carefree self.

Gohan was surprised by the display of emotion, it hinted at vulnerability, a characteristic which rarely applied to his father.

_I've never seen you cry before daddy. I mean even now you bury your sadness and put on a smiling face... Have you always been this strong?_

The car drive lasted for many hours once they got off the ship required to take them to the mainland. Throughout the majority of the time there wasn't much conversation in the vehicle, but Gohan sat close to his father and tried to enjoy his presence as much as possible. When they finally got to the airport and boarded the plane, Goku sat at the window, Krillin in the middle and Gohan at the end. It wasn't ideal but thankfully, due to Goku's mid-flight snoring, Krillin was beginning to crack.

"Okay, look, Jack, I am going to go crazy if I am in this seat any longer. I'm going to go to the bathroom for a bit and while I'm gone please take my seat. I need to be in the aisle because if I am any closer to Goku I may not be able to stop myself from strangling him in his sleep." Gohan, while careful to contain his excitement, agreed and Krillin left them for a short time.

Goku began to wake up a few minutes later and was horrified when he looked out the window. "Oh no, Jack look! The stars they're on the ground!"

Gohan confusedly said back, "The stars?" and Goku pointed at the ground.

"Look!"

Gohan peaked over Goku's shoulder outside the plane's small window and saw the city lights beneath them. He chuckled, "Goku, those are just electric lights silly, they have those in the big cities."

Goku excitedly asked, "Do you think they'll let me have one?".

* * *

When the plane landed and the four got a chance to stretch their legs, they quickly made their tournament grounds. When they arrived Master Roshi took the initiative and waited in line to sign them all up. While he was busy with waiting in the mile-long line, Gohan unintentionally split from Goku and Krillin for a moment, which was when he was met by a familiar voice.

"Hey, Goku!" someone called out.

As he looked around he couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from until Yamcha tapped on his shoulder. As Gohan turned around he saw Yamcha's expression turn from joy to disbelief. "You're not Goku! But whoever you are you look almost identical to him. The only difference is your hair, it's close, but not as crazy as Goku's. Who are you?"

Hearing Yamcha's concerned voice, Goku quickly found the two, followed eventually by Krillin. Goku saw that Gohan was a little unsure of how to approach the situation and calmly intervened. "Hey, it's okay! This is Yamcha, He's really cool, I met him on my search for the dragon balls with the girl I told you about on the plane."

Yamcha stammered out, "Goku, is this guy related to you or something? The resemblance, it's unbelievable!"

Goku innocently replied, "Nope, he's just my new friend Jack. He's competing and he's super strong!"

"Oh, super strong? Is that a fact?!" Yamcha said in a playful tone. "Well I'll be sure to keep my guard up then Jack" He paused and yawned, "All right, it's getting pretty late, and if I don't get back soon Bulma's gonna freak. I'll see you guys at the tournament tomorrow."

As they said their goodbyes to Yamcha, Master Roshi rejoined them and motioned his stick to a large building nearby. "Come along boys, it's going to be a difficult day tomorrow. This tournament won't be easy and you boys need your rest so let's get to the hotel quick. I need to be in bed soon so I can em..get uh, caught up on my reading!"


	4. Chapter 4: Suspicions Confirmed

As Gohan laid there in the hotel he knew he didn't want to go to sleep. He knew if he did he would only have nightmares about Cell, so he laid there for hours staring over at his father as he slept. He noted the expression of pure bliss on his face and it filled him with guilt.

_You look so peaceful, so calm, so happy. Why did you ever decide to give this kind of freedom up? Did mom just guilt you into marrying her? Did she force you into it...d-did she force you into having me?_

The question scared him more and more as he thought about it.

_Given the chance to do it all again would you bother having me? Even knowing how much I've failed you? _

_So many times... I've failed you so many times. I failed to stall long enough against the Saiyans for you to get there and Piccolo paid for it. I failed to protect Dende from Frieza long enough for you to get there and he paid for it. Even when you came over to me, tired after barely managing to keep up with Cell, and asked for me to take your place, I already failed you. I was so scared I could hardly breathe most of the fight and once Android sixteen died, once I was pushed over the edge and I gained all that power, all that stupid power, I got cocky. It was my fault you had to sacrifice yourself. I'm so sorry Daddy._

Gohan refocussed his blurred, teary-eyed vision on his fathers face

_I'm sorry I let you die and I don't blame you for not wanting to come back, not after how much I've failed you._

Gohan's silent tears soaked his pillow and he cried until he heard the door to their room creak open, it was Master Roshi. The old turtle hermit knew Gohan was awake and motioned for him to get up.

He knew Gohan had been crying for hours and it had taken him off of his 'reading' so he again motioned for Gohan to follow him into the hallway. As the two stepped outside Roshi decided to be upfront with him, he put his arm around the boy and bent down to match his height

"Listen, I've been around the block a few times; I know when somethings wrong with someone, and something is definitely wrong with you. You may fool everyone else on the planet with your happy little facade but I can feel your energy. Inside you scream out guilt and sadness but why? What happened to you, Jack? Why is it every time you even look at Goku your guilt radiates? And please, answer truthfully. I'll know if you're lying."

Master Roshi tried to pry his way into Gohan's subconscious, preparing himself to read Gohans mind if he started lying to him.

"You don't have to do that master. I'll tell you, just don't try and read my mind." Gohan said while drying his cheeks.

The old man was astounded, never before had he met anyone who could tell when they were about to be read.

"I will tell you as long as you promise not to tell anyone else. It could be catastrophic if you did."

He stroked his beard intently.

_This is going to be interesting_

The old master laughed "I know a great many secrets, most of which I will take to my grave. This is just another to add to the list"

Gohan smiled faintly, he knew if there was anyone that he could tell it was Master Roshi. The crafty Turtle Hermit did keep plenty of secrets and he trusted him to carry one more.

"Great, then I'll start. My name isn't Jack, my name is Gohan and I am Goku's son from a different timeline."

Master Roshi dropped his staff and his mouth gaped open. He sensed the boys' ki and knew he was telling the truth.

"Y-You're Goku's son!? That little boy can hardly spell his own name and yet he was able to mature enough to have children?"

Gohan was slightly offended, he was tired of everyone always acting like Goku was mentally inept. He knew his father wasn't the smartest but he always felt his father's real genius whenever they sparred or trained together. He spoke with a slight harshness in his tone "He's not stupid!"

Roshi patted the boy's shoulder "I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you, but you must realize how this might sound to someone who just spent the last few months training a Goku that still needs to count on his fingers to figure out what two plus seven is."

"It's ok..." He awkwardly paused unsure of how to continue the conversation. He eventually decided to start fresh. "Anyway, someone sent themselves to the past and they brought me along too. I don't know why and I haven't begun to look into it yet, but as soon as something comes up I plan on handling whoever did this and leaving as quickly as possible"

Master Roshi attempted to compose himself, he picked up his staff, stood up straight, and managed to ask a question "Ok, I think I've got it. But why do you feel so guilty around Goku, did something happen? I can't imagine you two have a bad relationship, I mean even just today you two were basically tied to each other."

Gohan could feel the lump in his throat forming and his eyes turning red as the tears started up again "I don't wanna' talk about it Master" he sniffled a little as a rubbed his eyes "Plus it's better that you didn't know. I put this timeline in a lot of danger just telling you what I have"

"Not at all son, you being so honest even in the face of ruining an entire timeline shows conviction. You couldn't have put your faith in a better man. You can count on me to keep your secret safe...as long as you maybe bring me a magazine from time to time...".

Roshi could see his joke wasn't appreciated as Gohan stared blankly back at him.

"Hehe, relax, just a joke...Now it's time you went off to bed. No more feeling guilty, you have a tournament tomorrow and since you are Goku's son I am expecting big things...very big things."

Gohan turned to head back to his room, looking over his shoulder to see the old hermit stroking his beard as he slowly walked back to his own room. Strangely enough, Gohan felt a weight lift off him knowing that he isn't the only one who knows what's really going on anymore.

He reentered the room to see Goku sitting on his bed, watching as Gohan closed the door behind him.

"Where'd you go, Jack? I woke up as soon as you left but I didn't want to follow you; you seemed sad. I just thought you needed some alone time. Do you feel any better?"

Gohan's heart melted "Yeah Goku. I feel better, just needed to clear my head is all".

Slowly settling in Gohan still couldn't sleep, horrified of what awaited him when he did.

Something told Goku that Gohan didn't feel quite alright just yet and so he moved the covers off of himself and moved over onto Gohans bed. Despite Gohan laying facing the opposite direction, Goku gave him a hug. An attempt at reassuring him.

"Goodnight jack, and don't worry about nightmares. Grampa always told me that if you were in good com-pain-y...Uh, erm company you always have good dreams" With that Goku affectionately ruffled his hair. "You've got Krillin and me here now so you can sleep well" Goku then hopped off of Gohans bed and back into his own.

_How did he know I was struggling to sleep? I've been completely silent since I got back in bed yet he still knows when somethings wrong. I don't think ill ever figure you out daddy. _Gohan turned to see his father who was somehow already back to sleep. He shook his head. _Nope, not_ _ever._

As Gohan finished that thought, he slipped into a deep sleep of his own. It was the best that he'd had in years. It was rare even before Cell that he would get a good night's sleep as he would always dream of Raditz or Nappa and especially Frieza, but it became impossible after his father died. He had no one to comfort him as his mother couldn't hear Gohan struggle in his sleep as his father could. No one was there now to retuck him in and wish him sweet dreams after stopping the post-nightmare tears, that was always his father's job. Goku was always there to comfort him even in situations where no one else could tell he needed it, it was usually those situations specifically that he needed him the most.

In his dreams, Gohan saw himself graduating from college with a degree in theoretical physics. He laughed as his father read over the diploma

"Theo-rheat-ical Physiques. Gohan don't tell me you were studying muscles all this time. You could have just trained with Piccolo and I if you wanted to do that" Gohan heard his father's stomach rumble.

"Man am I starving! Hey, Gohan, if it's ok with you, let's go get a bite to eat! You can study muscles later ok?"

Gohan nodded and followed his father to the closest buffet they could find.


	5. Chapter 5: The Preliminaries Begin!

The bright morning sun gleamed through the blinds of the hotel room's windows. Krillin had been up for only a couple of minutes before Goku awoke. They greeted each other silently, taking note that Gohan was still asleep and that they still had about an hour or so before they had to leave for the tournament.

"Good morning Krillin! I'm so excited, today is going to be the best day ever! I just hope we don't fight each other too early."

Krillin gulped "I hope I don't make it far enough to fight you Goku, I'm not going to lie sometimes I feel like your too strong for your own good."

Goku puzzledly inquired "Whadya' mean my own good?"

Krillin was slightly annoyed Goku took his playful jab at him seriously "Nevermind Goku I didn't mean anything by it." his answer garnered only blank stares.

Trying to change the subject Krillin asked: "You said Jack is strong right? Do you think he's as strong as us?"

Goku grinned and nodded "Yeah, definitely. I keep getting the feeling that he is something special. If I do have to fight him I'm sure it will a challenge"

Although they kept their voices low Gohans gentle slumber was easily disturbed and he slowly awoke to the sound of their quiet conversation. Gohan rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sat up and yawned; he felt truly happy in that brief moment, the brief moment in between reality and his dreams when he wasn't really sure where or who he was. Despite the feeling fading rather quickly Gohan felt his spirits lift as he waited to greet the day, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Morning guys. Did you sleep well? because I slept great." Gohan said enthusiastically

Goku was the first to answer, "Yeah I know right? These beds are the comfiest ever! Back at my Grampas hut, I didn't really have a bed. Hahaha."

"That's not funny Goku, that's actually kind of sad" Krillin said seriously.

Goku looked worriedly at Krillin "Why Krillin? is that bad?"

Both Gohan and Krillin went silent staring at Goku's innocently curious face until they heard Master Roshi enter the room.

"Silly kids, when I was a student under Master Mutaito the best we got were training mats to sleep on. I've been soft on you boys letting you sleep in beds...but that's beside the point. I came to make sure you were all ready for the tournament today. It will be an exciting test of your abilities but more importantly a great learning experience..."

As Goku and Krillin changed into their iconic orange turtle hermit outfits with the distinctive blue sash belt and blue wristbands Master Roshi wrinkled his brow as he saw Gohan slip into his raggedy and torn purple gi.

"Hey Go... hey Jack, I have a present for you. I had to get up quite early today and had it specially tailored to your exact size"

Master Roshi pulled from behind his back a deep rich mulberry colored gi similar to the one he had on then except for the distinctive turtle hermit symbol on the back. He also presented him with his own blue sash belt and set of blue wristbands.

"I do hope you like them. I wanted you to be distinctively unique but still show that turtle pride...despite not being an actual student of mine."

Master Roshi passed the gi to Gohan and as he held it in front of himself he said

"Master Roshi its...Perfect! It's more than perfect, thank you so much!"

Gohan hugged the old man tightly, maybe a little too tightly...

Master Roshi felt his back pop and an audible crack could be heard "OAH! Relax Jack! You don't have to squeeze me to death!"

When everyone had finished getting ready Master Roshi walked them over to the tournament preliminary grounds. He led them to the entrance and stopped

"Alright, boys! This is as far as I can take ya'. Tournament participants only past this point. But don't worry this old turtle will be with you in spirit and, if you make it through, in person when the finals begin." Everyone said their goodbyes to Master Roshi and quickly made their way into the temple.

"Wow! Look at all these people! It's the most I've ever seen!" Goku said while gawking at the different varieties of people and species that all herded together, ready and eager to compete for a place in the championship. He could feel his adrenaline pumping already.

Krillin worriedly exclaimed "Yeah look at all these guys! Half of them have kneecaps taller than me!"

Everyone's attention turned to an elderly man that took to the main stage. Below his long grey beard, he held a microphone and after clearing his throat he spoke clearly and loudly for all to hear "Alright everybody settle down, settle down. You will all be divided into 4 blocks and only two from each block will advance to the main tournament. Fights will be held all day today until two finalists are left in each block, no exceptions. If you leave before your designated fights you are disqualified. Now, would everyone please line up and get a number. Your number will determine which block you are placed in and after that, we will begin the fights. Good luck to you all and thank you for participating in the Twenty-First World Martial Arts Tournament!"

After the old man walked off the stage the three boys looked at each other and agreed to stay close so that they would find out their placements together. As they were in line to get their numbers Goku saw Yamcha walking towards the back.

"Hey, Yamcha! Over here!"

Yamcha immediately picked out Goku's face from the crowd and ran over

"Hey Goku! Its good to see you!"

Goku responded "Its good to see you too! You didn't get your number yet did you?"

"No, I have been looking around for you guys! I'm sure no one would mind if I slipped right in here" Yamcha said as he slid in between Krillin and Gohan without anyone taking any particular notice. They then waited in the line for a good forty minutes before finally getting their numbers. Krillin was the first to open his

"Hm, ninety-three for me"

Goku opened his own card and tried to decipher the numbers "Huh, I've got a seven and a zero."

Yamcha explained, "Well, looks like you're both in block three but you're on opposite ends so you won't have to fight each other." Yamcha could feel Krillins sigh of relief.

"What did you get Yamcha?"

"I'm number thirty-five, that's in block two. Good thing too, I didn't want to be placed in your block. I've been looking forward to fighting you, and I think the championship stage is where we should do that so don't disappoint me by not making it to the REAL event."

Goku nodded "Don't worry I'll make it!" He then turned over to Gohan

"How about you Jack? What's your number?"

Gohan flipped open his card "I'm number one-hundred and twelve so I guess that leaves me in block four."

Goku was a little depressed from hearing that he would not be able to fight Gohan until the main tournament but remained enthusiastic, he grabbed Gohans hands and, while jumping, gave an excited "That's great Jack! I cant wait to see you fight!"

As everyone got acquainted with who they would be up against they saw a young man step to the side of the stage and clear his voice

"Would fighters number sixty-nine and seventy please enter the ring"

Goku stopped his jumping and looked away from Gohan towards the stage. He thought back to his numbers and concentrated "Uh, seven-dee. Oh! That's me!". Goku quickly let go of Gohan's hands and waved to his friends as he hopped up onto the stage.

Goku was met with an enormous muscle-man sporting a large handlebar mustache. The man, originally believing this to be a joke, began to laugh

The young announcer who called them to the stage quickly explained the rules

"Ok, now that you are familiar with the match structure..." He paused for dramatic effect "You may begin!"

"Heh, I just need one second to crush this pest between my thumb and fore-" before he could even finish his sentence Goku disappeared from his vision "WHAT? Where'd you go?"

Goku merely tapped the man's calf twice "I'm right here mister..." The large man suddenly yelped in pain and collapsed with only his legs still on the arena floor and the rest of his body lying out of bounds.


	6. Chapter 6: The Preliminaries Conclusion!

Goku marveled at the depths of his new strength and could only look confusedly at his own finger as he walked off of the stage. Gohan approached him smiling, wanting to give words of encouragement.

"Great job Goku, you hardly touched him and he collapsed outside of the ring, really incredible!"

Krillin, standing right beside Gohan, felt obligated to correct him. "It was luck, Jack. Its obvious the big oaf lost his balance and fell out, anyone could do that"

Gohan was genuinely hurt that Krillin thought that Goku had won through dumb luck; he assumed Krillin had always respected his father as a fighter, even in childhood.

"It was a bit more than that Krillin" Goku said, "I don't think we should use our full strength yet, it could be bad."

From behind the three, a nasally sounding voice broke from the crowd "Well look who actually showed up. I didn't believe him when he said he was going to train with the 'great Master Roshi' but I guess the little twerp managed it after all."

Goku and Gohan looked up to see two Buddhist monks standing over Krillin. The one on Krillin's left was a tall and thin man, he didn't carry very much muscle on him but his height gave him some false confidence he used to intimidate those smaller than him. "Looks like you'll be fighting me Krillin. I do hope you manage to last at least 30 seconds in the ring but look at you, still as small as when you first ran crying from the temple. You better leave before we get in that ring, cause if we fight each other I may 'accidentally' end up putting you in the hospital."

The lanky man slapped Krillin's head before saying, "C'mon let's go find something to eat. I'm tired of hanging around these losers." His fatter and smaller companion smiled and slapped Krillin's head as well before following him to the tournament's commissary. Goku frowned and looked worriedly over at Krillin who was simultaneously rubbing his head and shaking like a leaf. He put his hands on Krillin's shoulders and put on a serious face.

"Krillin, I take back what I said about us not using our full strength. That guy was really mean to you and you shouldn't have to take that from him. In your match I want you to try as hard as you can because when you do he won't stand a chance!" Goku paused, he could see he was getting through to Krillin but that he needed further encouragement "You know you're stronger than him right?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Then you have nothing to be scared of! I want you to get up there and show him just how tough you really are! Show him the kind of stuff you're really made of!"

Krillin saw just how much Goku believed in him and found some new determination through his encouraging words "Right Goku, I will!"

"Will numbers ninety-three and ninety-four please approach the arena!" The young man said excitedly into the microphone.

Gohan watched Krillin walk up to the stage; he looked far more confident than he did just moments ago. Gohan smiled, seeing his father comfort Krillin reminded him of a time he did the same for him just before the Cell Games.

_flashback_

Goku and Gohan were relaxing in the grass near their favorite spring. It was a little valley wedged between two mountains not far from Mount Pouzu and was completely isolated from the outside world; a place for just the two to share. The spring was created by a small stream that came down from one of the mountains, it continued until falling off a fifteen-foot ledge, into a small lake of its own creation. The grass there was the greenest grass could be and the water was so clear it was almost invisible. As Gohan laid there underneath the only apple tree in the valley, he turned towards his father.

"Dad, I'm worried. I-I don't know if we can beat Cell and laying here not doing anything is killing me." Gohan frowned staring at his father for a response.

"Gohan, don't worry we can handle him. You and I trained for a whole year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber remember? If one entire year in that intense heat and gravity can't prepare us for an oversized bug then I don't know what will!" He laughed as he said it, but Gohan didn't find the joke very funny.

"Daddy, I'm serious, I-I'm just so scared, I don't want to lose you again." He moved over to his father and wrapped his arms around him, placing his head into his chest to hide his tears.

"Oh, Gohan" Goku closed his eyes and rubbed his sons back. "It's alright to be scared." He pulled Gohan closer to his breast and held him tightly, almost cradling him. "I'm scared too...but I know that together, you and me and all of our friends, we'll win. We always have."

* * *

Gohan's memories faded away as he focused on his father who was staring eagerly, waiting for the match to begin. He could see how much Goku believed in Krillin just by looking into his eyes, of which were focused solely on his bald friend as he climbed onto the stage.

_Wow, daddy... I thought you only needed to do that for me, but I guess you've been helping people believe in themselves for years, huh?_

Krillin and the monk stood in front of each other glaring one another down, although Krillin still felt some self-doubt he didn't let that show, all he let that monk see was his fierce determination.

"You may begin!"

The tall, lean monk started his attack. He jumped and formed a kick towards Krillins abdomen but before it could connect Krillin swooped beneath it, finding it easy because of his small size, Krillin then elbowed his opponents back sending him flying out of the ring. Luckily, the indoor arena's wall was there to catch him. Krillin slowly turned around to see everyone crowding around the injured man, unconscious and out of arena bounds.

The announcer's voice quivered "Uhm, hehe, I suppose Number 93 wins!"

Astounded, Krillin proclaimed, "I did it! Guys, I beat him! Did you see how far he went flying? that was incredible!"

"Great job Krillin I knew you could do it!" Goku said and clapped enthusiastically.

The announcer then squinted at his clipboard "Alright, that's it for block three, at least for right now..." He ran his finger down the list of contestants. "Ah, there we are. Would numbers one-twelve and one-thirteen please approach the arena"

Gohan was surprised, was it his turn already?

"I guess it's my turn now. Wish me luck."

Goku put his hand on Gohan's shoulder "You can do it, Jack, you're some tough stuff. I doubt anyone here could beat you." The look on Goku's face told Gohan that he meant it.

"Thanks, Goku." Gohan said while smiling. He was warmed by the fact that even when they didn't know each other, his father still believed in him.

Gohan climbed up onto his stage and was met by a scrawny, two-foot-tall wolf cub. The announcer approached the two cautiously.

"Alright, I want a good clean fight. Remember no killing" He looked down accusingly at the wolf cub causing it to twiddle its foot along the ground innocently. The announcer then scurried off of the stage. To Gohan it looked like he was not only eager to get away from the cub but also scared of it. He cupped his hands and yelled, "YOU MAY BEGIN!"

Gohan jumped back away and stood in a defensive position, it was similar to the one his father had always taught him to use however it was hardened by Piccolo's harsh training. Gohan knew his overprotective stance overkill but he wanted to ensure that the cub thought he was taking this seriously.

Gohan got a chill as he heard the cubs giggles turn into a deep and distorting laugh. It sounded like a well-blended mixture of mania and lunacy, and it echoed among the contestants that observed silently.

"You are the first to treat me as an actual opponent. For that, I will make your death swift and painless."

Gohan saw as the cub began to lengthen. Its muscles quadrupled in size and continued to grow as he did. Gohan heard every gruesome bone pop and lengthen as the small two-foot cub grew to a twelve-foot hulking mass of a monster. The grotesque thing continued to grow until some of its bones stuck out of its flesh. Gohan nearly collapsed out of disgust for this new creature. If he wasn't sure about ending this quickly before, he was now. He charged at the beast as fast as he could without arousing suspicion. The massive creature swung a claw in Gohan's direction. Gohan barely tried to dodge it, he swung low and swept its legs causing it to fall to the ground. Gohan quickly kicked it out of the arena landing it a few feet from its previous battleground.

"I-I don't believe it, absolutely incredible! Number one-hundred twelve is the winner!"

It felt good to win. Gohan walked off the stage with an innocent grin on his face to meet the adoration of Goku and Krillin

"Wow Jack, you're almost as fast as me! You weren't trying too hard though right?" Goku waited expectantly for an answer

Gohan was happy his plan had worked

_Good, now he knows I'm fast but he still thinks I'm not as fast as him._

"Well I was trying pretty hard, he sure was a scary guy wasn't he?"

Goku's smile disappeared "Yeah, he got really big. I was worried that he was gonna keep growing until you attacked him. Even then, you could have been hurt by those big claws he had."

Gohan was touched by Goku's concern for him. "It's alright, I showed him, huh!"

"Yeah!" Goku answered energetically.

The matches continued for the rest of the day, the crowd thinning minute by minute. By seven pm there was no one left aside from those in the final match. Yamcha had finished his matches hours ago and stood with the boys as they watched this final showdown. On their side of the arena, an old man with silver hair in a black robe stood firmly and on the opposite side stood a young muscly guy, no more than in his early twenties. As soon as the match began the old man darted across the stage and touched each one of the younger man's pressure points paralyzing him instantly.

"That is the end of this match" the old man stated proudly "Please take this young man to the infirmary, he's not harmed but he won't be moving for a while". The mysterious old man leaped from the stage and walked slowly towards the exit.

The announcer ran over to stand in front of the doorway.

"Wait, sir! We still have to discuss who'll you'll be fighting tomorrow, its the main event!"

The old man nearly fell down "Oh silly me! How could I forget..."

Goku, Gohan, Krillin, Yamcha, and this mysterious old fighter then followed the announcer into the planning room. They saw the giant board detailing the structure of the tournament for the following day.

Gohan saw three other fighters in the room, the first being a dragon-like beast standing in the corner eyeing Goku down, the second was a young but thin Indian man meditating in front of the board and lastly, he saw an eight-foot-tall fat man who wreaked of a mix between burning garbage and his fathers cooking.

"Jeez, what stinks..." Goku said while covering his nose, "I think I'm gonna pass out."

The announcer seemed eager to leave, "OK everybody lets get this done quickly, I know no one wants to be here for too long or that stench WILL stick to your clothes." Traditionally the fighters would draw numbers from a bucket to determine their matches, just as insurance that there was no bias when they were arranged, but the stench was so unbearable the announcer was willing to throw the rules out the window. He had one hand over his nose and held his clipboard tightly with the other

"The first match will be the fighter known as Krillin against Bacterian" Krillin was mortified, he know he said he didn't want to fight Goku at the tournament but he'd give anything to fight against him instead of the eight-foot-tall trash pile.

"The second match is Gock-u against Giran. The third is Jack versus Na-am. and the last match is the legendary Jackie Chun, his words not mine... versus Yamcha."

"Thank goodness we got that out of the way. Alright, I am going home, I recommend you all do before you have to make a trip to the washers... a-and make sure you get plenty of rest, the day tomorrow will be long and full of excitement." The announcer then sprinted out the door almost heaving up his lunch.

The group was quick to follow him outside and Jackie seemed to tag along as well. Gohan was the only one present who could really sense ki at that time and he noticed Jackie's ki signature was the same as Master Roshi's.

"Uhm, Master Roshi what's with the disguise"

Roshi glared down at Gohan, his eyes almost begging him to shut up "I don't know what you're talking about my name is Jackie Chun" Suddenly it clicked for Gohan, he now knew that Roshi wanted to keep his identity hidden

"Oh I'm sorry you just look a lot like him," Gohan said trying to sound embarrassed.

Yamcha suspiciously said "Yeah, you look almost identical to that old hermit, that beard especially." reaching for Roshi's hair to check if it was a wig.

"Hey! Hands off the merchandise, it took me nearly an hour today to make sure my hair was right for these preliminaries."

"Admit it you're Master Roshi! Who else looks and sounds like that, not to mention how easily you defeated that guy earlier."

Yamcha quickly tugged on Roshi's hair surprised when it didn't give, his theory crumbled and he blushed.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Mister Chun I could have sworn you were this martial arts master named Master Roshi in disguise."

"I know who he is! And what the hell is wrong with you, Pulling on an old man's hair like that! I don't even know if this stuff will grow back." The old man rubbed his hair and composed himself "Ehem, sorry. Sometime's I lose my temper a little. I can understand your confusion but I assure you I am not Master Roshi". They all fell silent for a moment until they heard Goku's stomach rumble

"Guys, IM STARVING. Can we please go get something to eat?" The perfect timing on Goku's insatiable hunger served as the perfect joke and everyone there shared a laugh. Yamcha was the first to stop,

"Yeah Goku, let's just go find Bulma and the others, then we'll go find a buffet or something." As everyone turned to go back towards the outside entrance of the Preliminary Grounds Goku looked over his shoulder and saw Jackie Chun heading in a different direction

"Hey, Mister Chun you seem pretty nice why don't you come join us for dinner."

Roshi turned around to face the boy happy that Goku would offer a complete stranger a meal. He bent down and put his hand on Goku's shoulder

"Thanks, son, but I've got somewhere else to be. You go enjoy yourself a hot meal, it's well deserved. And be ready for tomorrow I have a feeling you and I will be going up against each other very soon." With that Roshi turned and walked out of sight.

Gohan noticed Goku was trailing behind, he could sense Goku was confused and couldn't stand seeing his father look so conflicted, he fell behind the group to match Goku's walking speed

"What's the matter Goku, are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine, just weirded out because that Jackie Chun guy reminds me a lot of master Roshi, I mean he even smells like him."

Gohan patted Goku's back, worried that he would discover Chun's true identity, he tried to distract him

"C'mon Goku, I don't think its too important. What's really important is that we go get some dinner. I think tonight I could even out eat you"

Goku grinned excitedly at Gohans challenge

"I'd like to see you try"


	7. Chapter 7: Unmistakable

Morning rose over Papaya island and with it came new nervous anticipation. Goku had been up an hour before their alarm clock was set and anxiously waited in his bed, staring across the room into its external workings. The clock's hands moved ever so slowly, almost as if they weren't moving at all. Goku became so focused on its constant and maddening ticking that everything around him seemed to just melt away. The only thing he found himself wanting to do was to move the hands of the clock himself, to speed up this gruesomely slow morning.

A small and quiet whimpering disrupted the ticking and eventually, the ticking faded out altogether. He looked to his right to see Gohan with tears running down his cheeks. Goku could see his lips move and his throat tense to try to form words but most of it came out as small squeaks and incoherent gibberish. Gohan's arms spasmed a little under his covers as if he was fighting some imaginary beast locked within his dreams. Once the spasming stopped he could visibly see Gohan becoming tenser, his brow curled and his mouth quivered, the gibberish then became more recognizable. Goku heard the boy cry out silently "There's gotta be another way-you don't have to..."

Goku hadn't noticed his heartrate skyrocketing, he anxiously rubbed his hands together contemplating what to do as he waited for Gohans next words.

Gohan whispers almost inaudibly "It's my fault. It's my fault Daddy...I'm so sorry."

Goku couldn't imagine what would be causing his misery but he knew he couldn't let it continue. He hopped onto Gohan's bed, sat down and whispered, "Jack...Jack" He shook Gohan gently "You're having a really bad dream, Jack, you've gotta wake up."

Gohan shot up from his restless slumber breathing heavily, his eyes quickly darting all around him as if checking for something. His rapid labored breathing, calmed as he saw his father sitting next to him.

"Relax, it's just a nightmare," Goku said, the worry on his face clearly visible."You sure do seem to get a lot of those, you wanna talk about it?"

Gohan absolutely did not want to talk about any of his dreams. He had never spoken a word to his mother about them and Piccolo only knew about them to the extent that Gohan told him he gets nightmares every once in a while. Yet, the weight of keeping all of his dreams secret was almost unbearable. He decided to open up to Goku even if he had to remove some details that would expose his facade.

He sat up against the bedboard

"I-Its just." Gohan racked his brain to figure out how he could explain how he felt "Well I-" he stopped again. He sighed as he settled on a way to put it to his father without being too vague.

"Goku, imagine being the strongest person around and needing to protect someone who had always believed in you, someone who, no matter how dark or grim things seemed to be, always believed that you could make a difference." Gohan's throat felt like it was ready to tear

"My dad believed in me like that...He knew I was the strongest even when I didn't. He pushed me until I became what he knew I could be, but in the end, I still failed him. He put all of his trust in me and when the time came for me to protect him I- " Gohan was now tearing up, a few spilled from his eyes onto his face, he reached for Goku gripping onto his wrists,

"I was so consumed by my new strength... I toyed with the monster who was attacking us. My arrogance, despite my fathers' pleas for me to beat it quickly, blinded me and-and yo-" Gohan paused again because if he continued at that moment he'd forgo his persona and tell Goku the whole truth. Gohan waited for a second, attempted to swallow his tears then begrudgingly continued,

"He sacrificed himself to save me." Gohan wanted to stop there, with each word he spoke he felt the lump in his throat grow bigger, "So now Whenever I try to sleep I dream of him dying again and again, over and over every night. "

Gohan crumbled into a mess of sobs and tears. He let go of Gokus wrists and collapsed face-first into the bed. He moved himself to wrap to his arms around Goku's waist and pulled his father closer so he could cry into his lap. "And it's all my fault."

Goku couldn't come up with a suitable response, he thought that anything he might say would only add to Gohan's pain.

_Gosh, you've been through so much, I can see how much it weighs on you... It's strange, but I feel like I've known you for years. I feel like I've known you as long as I've known anyone...even grampa. I know whatever I say won't really help but I'll be here for you._

He reached under Gohan's arms and shifted him upwards towards his chest and held him there while rubbing his back. He laid his head on Gohan's right shoulder and softly whispered, "I'm sorry.". He was silent after that, focusing on doing everything he could to comfort the crying boy he held in his arms.

It felt good to hear 'im sorry'. Goku could have said anything, he could have said 'it wasn't your fault' or 'there was nothing you could have done' of course, Gohan knew both were lies, but he chose to say the only true thing that came to mind. The only thing that could have made Gohan feel a little better, 'Im sorry'. He continued crying into his father's shirt holding onto him like it was the last time he'd ever see him. Just the thought of that moment being the final time ever seeing him made Gohan cry even harder.

Goku thought of a way he could at least comfort his friend "Hey Jack if you want to stay here in the hotel today and skip the tournament, I'll stay with you."

Krillin who was pretending to be asleep in order to listen in on the conversation decided now was the time to intervene, there was no way he was letting Goku stay here. "Goku are you crazy!? We've been training for months for this tournament and you're going to forfeit it because of some crybaby you met two days ago?"

Goku protectively tightened his embrace around Gohan "Krillin that's not very nice! What's wrong with you anyway? Didn't you hear what he said? I bet if you lost your dad like that you would be crying too! And I offered to stay because I feel bad, no one should feel like this and be left alone!"

The idea was tempting but Gohan still felt that he couldn't do that to his father, he didn't want to ruin the timeline but more importantly, he didn't want to ruin his father's day at the tournament. Gohan sniffled, trying to rid himself of tears, and winced as he gently broke the embrace with Goku. "Krillin's right Goku I'm just being a crybaby, you should go to the tournament." Krillin blushed as he didn't expect his harsh criticism to be met with such honest acceptance.

Goku stared into Gohans' vulnerable brown eyes "I don't want to go unless you do, and you're not being a crybaby, you're just sad." Goku tried to smile. "So either I stay here or we both go."

Gohan stared back into his concerned yet hopeful eyes. "Okay Goku, I-I'll go".

All worry melted from Gokus face and he excitedly hugged Gohan. "Alright! Today will be great, I promise!"

Goku, Krillin, and Gohan all got ready for the day and met Master Roshi outside to head to the tournament grounds. When they arrived they were met with an entirely different sight than the day prior, today the grounds weren't filled with contestants they were filled with spectators. Everyone in the crowd was trying to scrape their way into the tournament stands and in the chaos Master Roshi made his daring escape.

The gong sounded and served as a signal to everyone to get to their seats as the show was about to begin. The three boys quickly filed into the tournament main hall that led to the finals ring. There they had met up with Yamcha and Jackie Chun

Goku's eyes lit up as he saw the elderly figure "Mister Chun! It's great to see you, I hope that you're ready because I'm definitely gonna be here to face you!"

The old man laughed. "Oh, are you? Well just make sure to keep your guard up before our match, that Giren fella' means business and from what I've heard he's extremely powerful, so mind that ego Goku and remember your teachings."

Goku was puzzled "My teachings? What did you teach me?"

Roshi was visibly sweating, "Oh, uh-uh nothing! Aside from a few lessons on how to look good of course. I mean the stitching in your outfit looks almost as good as mine hehe."

The announcer came running into the temple room out of breath. "Are you guys ready yet? C'mon, these people are expecting a show! Krillin, Bacterian you're up, let's go, we're behind schedule as it is. Just follow me and I'll lead you out onto the stage."

The young man led them to the stage and out in front of the massive crowd. The crowd as Krillin waved to them and walked to his corner, the same could not be said for Bacterian; many of the people were too busy covering their noses to cheer. Krillin walked in a circle looking at the audience, he was enthralled in how many people came there just to see him fight and almost forgot about actually having to face off against the smelliest opponent in history. He hardly listened to the rules as they were listed out and finally tuned back in as he heard the announcer scream, "You may begin!"

Goku was angry there was no way for contestants to view the match from the stands and pouted as he sat in the Tournament Main Hall. After some contemplation, he decided that it was impossible for him to sit there any longer so he stood up and motioned for Gohan to stand as well. "Jack, cmon' there's gotta be a way to watch Krillin fight!"

Gohan quickly followed Goku as the two exited the temple and walked along the path to the entrance of the ring, Jackie was already there watching the fight and barely acknowledged them. Goku and Gohan both hopped up and held onto the wall that surrounded the arena and got a clear view of Krillin. They could see him easily leaping around the powerful but slow punches Bacterian threw.

"Yeah! Go Krillin!" Goku cheered. He energetically pumped his fist in the air and continued to cheer as Krillin landed a massive blow to Bacterian's jaw.

Although the match had just started Gohan couldn't help but feel that something wasn't quite right, something just felt off to him.

_What's wrong with me? __Everything seems perfectly calm. This fight can't even be that serious, no one's even hit each other yet. Still, I feel tense and anxious...something else must be going on._

Gohan hopped off of the wall he was holding onto and sat on the ground, he cleared his mind and searched for ki's in the general area. He sifted through hundreds of people's excited energies but felt no real disturbance. Gohan decided to widen his search, he cleared through the surrounding islands and felt one ki, it was strong but manipulated, almost twisted, in a way he couldn't describe. It definitely didn't belong to this timeline that much he was sure of.

After around a minute of studying this anomaly, he realized who's energy it was, but he didn't believe it. He felt a surge of excitement at its familiarity and yet his blood thickened and his skin turned white, something about this energy seemed wrong and dark in a sense.

Gohan struggled to stand up. He looked over at Goku who was already waiting for an explanation "G-Goku I have to go. I'll be back, I don't feel very well"

Goku dropped down and walked over to Gohan, putting his hand on his shoulder "Okay Jack." Goku noticed the distinct lack of pigment in Gohan's skin. "Jack are you all right? You look really pale. You sure you don't need me to come with you?"

Gohan attempted to be reassuring "It's ok Goku I'll be right back."

Gohan's heart was racing, he ran out of the tournament grounds and lifted himself into the air.

He flew as fast as he could towards this almost unrecognizable energy, even going Super Saiyan to boost his speed. He passed at least twenty deserted islands and found himself flying over open water. Eventually, he saw a figure floating in the distance. He saw the purple gi, the white shoulder pads, Gohan closed the gap remaining between them, the figure was now unmistakable.

"Mister Piccolo?"


	8. Chapter 8: Imposter

Gohan wanted to hug his teacher as soon as he saw him, but the energy he felt radiating off of him kept him from doing so.

"Mister Piccolo, is that you? How did you get here?" Gohan waited for a response but was met with an unsettling silence. "I-Is something wrong? Your energy feels weird."

Gohan looked into Piccolo's eyes and saw nothing. No emotion, no love nor fear nor hate, he couldn't even spot the usual tough-guy look Piccolo carried around everyone. He felt a chill inch down his spine, this was not the Piccolo he knew.

"Nothing's wrong. I just came out here to collect some...data"

The voice reminded Gohan of Piccolo but the inflection sounded gruffer and much older than usual.

"What do you mean collect some da-"

Piccolo quickly raised his hand and shot an energy beam at Gohan's upper right arm. Unprepared Gohan took the blunt of Piccolo's surprise attack, his arm squirted blood as he went flying down into the ocean covered in thick, black smoke.

Still in shock, he hadn't felt the injury until he hit the water. The salt quickly poured into his bloody fresh wound causing unbelievable pain. He tried to scream but the water disguised any noise he made as bubbles of air. He covered the wound with his hand and tried to compose himself, summoning as much energy as he could.

Piccolo floated above the water laughing to himself. "What a pathetic little brat. How is it he's able to beat the most perfect creation in the universe but can't handle a simple Namekian?" He stopped as he saw the water beneath him boil until it erupted. Gohan emerged and charged the idle Piccolo punching him with his left hand as hard as he could. A mixture of blood and oil spewed from Piccolos now disconnected arm, electricity jolted around the injury.

"Y-you brat! this model took weeks to build, I even used some of the DNA from your dear master to make it more durable. Looks like I will have to do a little better."

Gohan recognized that voice now more than before; it was Dr. Gero.

"Dr. Gero?"

"In the flesh...or I suppose flesh and circuitry"

"How are you alive? The androids killed you! I saw it myself, seventeen crushed you!"

"True, but then again I am not the actual Dr. Gero, at least not anymore. I am just an android kept at a separate facility that has been imbued with his memories, genius, and charming personality. I have also been gifted something far, far more important: Gero's immense hatred for you and your father. After all, that's why I brought you here Son Gohan. So that I can use my past self's resources to destroy you and everything you love. Oh and do be careful, keep your eyes on your younger father," He chuckled ominously. "After all if he dies, then so do you."

Gohan continued to hold onto his wound that burned more and more with every minute that passed, he gritted his teeth and scowled "What do you mean!?"

"Stupid child, you haven't figured it out? The time traveler who came back to our timeline may not have been able to travel to his own past but that doesn't mean I couldn't. Regretfully, even for me, it would take far to long to develop the technology needed to travel back in our own time so I used the dragon balls to do it for me. I hate the idea of using petty magic over the brilliance of modern science but it was a necessary sacrifice."

Dr. Gero paused, he observed Gohan wince as his wound squirted out more blood "It is quite interesting that you are still here at all. I figured after the death of your father, getting the chance to see him again, even as a child, would be too much and you'd spill your guts immediately. If only I was so lucky, maybe then you would have created a time paradox and accidentally killed yourself." He sighed, "You know, I am genuinely surprised you don't even feel any resentment towards the man considering how many times he's abandoned you, abused you or put you in harm's way."

Gohan growled, "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Gero reached for his bleeding arm and pinched the metal artery shut. "He put you, a stupid, spoiled, eleven-year-old brat who still refers to his father as 'daddy' and wets his goddamn bed in charge of defending the world against the most perfect being to ever exist! If that isn't endangering then I don't know what is."

"Shut up!" Gohan felt his vision blur as tears filled his eyes.

Gero moved his hand to attempt to scratch a beard that wasn't there "And by god did he abandon you. Think about it, why would he stay dead, hm? Wouldn't it be more effective to stay with you, his only son, his 'baby boy', and train considering you are so much stronger than he is?" He scoffed, "It's quite sad really, your life has been nothing but one tragedy after another. I would laugh had my childhood not been so similar. The only true difference between you and me is that you had the chance to have a father. Your precious 'daddy' would have done anything to protect you, even die for you." Gero paused for a moment as he silently reflected. He decided to continue after careful organization of his thoughts, "You were given your one opportunity, your one chance to prove that you were worth all of the whining and the moaning and the crying your father somehow put up with, and you failed miserably. Through your hubris, you allowed the strongest opponent any of you had ever faced to destroy your father while you stood there and did nothing. You let him die despite you being the only one capable of stopping Cell. Of course, I assume you know all of this and hopefully have been blaming yourself for your cowardice. Which leaves me to ask you the question: Are you even surprised that he abandoned you?"

Gohan seethed with new anger, he felt hate he hadn't felt since Cell. But this wasn't just hatred for Dr. Gero, this was also hatred for himself, every weakness and every failure flashed through his mind. He could no longer see Piccolo in front of him, he couldn't even envision Dr. Gero anymore, he only saw himself. He looked into his own face with such hate and disgust, so much so even his features that resembled his father disgusted him.

"JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Gohan grit his teeth as let go of his wound and quickly brought back his both of his arms despite the firey pain he felt while doing so. He prepared the only attack that seemed fitting to kill himself with,

"KA-ME-HA-ME-HA!" Gohan fired the strongest wave he could, instantly vaporizing the imposter that stood before him just seconds ago.

As the blast cleared Gohan felt something akin to relief knowing that Gero couldn't spit anymore of his poisonous words that seemed to touch all the nerves just right in order to break his already burdened spirit. Still, Gohan knew there was some truth within the doctor's words and would have thought about it more if it wasn't incredibly difficult to stay awake and even harder to stay in the air, the blood loss was rapidly taking its toll and he knew he didn't have much time.

_Korin's tower...I have to get to Master Korin..._

* * *

The old cat stared at the bottom of his steps as he saw a bloody child passed out on the floor "What a surprise! The son of Goku... and he's bleeding all over my floor. Great." He waddled over to the boy carrying a small sauciere.

"Guess it's a good thing I never thought about installing carpet."

He poured the soupy senzu liquid down Gohan's throat. "C'mon, get up kid..." Korin could see the boy twitch. "Don't be alarmed Gohan, I already know everything. You tend to look into discrepancies when you are stuck in a tower all day, and to call you a discrepancy is a massive understatement."

Gohan slowly opened his eyes and pushed himself up from the pool of blood he was laying in "I-I'm sorry Master Korin. "

"Don't be, it's fine, you aren't here by choice anyway." He paused as he helped Gohan, who was still woozy from the previous blood loss, find his feet. " C'mon We've gotta get you changed. I had a feeling you would be running into one of the mad doctors' experiments sooner or later so I had a pair of clothes already made. And don't worry they are identical to the ones you have on so no one will notice."

"Really?" Gohan lifted the dark purple outfit in front of him and tried to sound happy, "I-Its great Korin..."

Korin fiddled with his whiskers."You don't sound very excited."

"I guess I just have a lot on my mind right now," Gohan said.

Korin tried to keep his giggling down "Yeah, I heard the monologue. I think the guy needs a hobby or something, you'd figure the way he was describing it that he was watching you guys. I mean I wouldn't put it past him but what a loser, going on and on, 'you failed your father' this or 'disappointment' that"

He could see that Gohan wasn't comforted by his commentary and actually took Gero's meaningless mockings to heart "Hey, relax kid, you do realize he was just trying to get under your skin right? That's what those super villain types do. I see it all the time."

"Yeah, but it doesn't make what he said untrue," Gohan said, struggling to not break down in tears.

"Don't give me that. You are the son of Son Goku. He may be a little boy now but he will become one of the strongest, bravest most pure of heart warriors this universe has ever seen. Do you really think your father could hate you the way Dr. Gero believes he can?"

Gohan stammered "I... I don't know anymore."

Korin answered for him "Well I can see pretty far into the future. All I have to do is take a good look in one of my pots over there in the corner. You see em'?" He pointed over to three clay vases covered with an off-white cloth. "And I don't need to look into one to tell you that he couldn't ever hate you like that." Korin said, causing a slight boost in Gohan's mood. "Now, back to business. Get dressed and be quick because you need to be at that tournament as soon as possible. Your father's fight with Giren has already begun and you literally can't miss it."

"Ok, Korin." Gohan leaned in for a hug from the elderly white cat "Thank you."

Korin was surprised, he rarely got visitors and now he was receiving a hug for just giving out some measly advice "Aw, there-there kid." He gently grabbed Gohan's shoulders and pushed him forward so he could see his face "Now you really gotta go. You literally have to be there for this fight. Goku's been worried about you since you left during Krillin's match and will lose his unless you make it back there. He's just too distracted by your absence to perform at his best."

"Right." Gohan said before running for the edge of the tower.

"Wait! I almost forgot, here's a going-away present just in case you run into any more of the good doctor's androids." Gohan turned around and caught a brown, cloth pouch filled to the brim with senzu beans "Now I'm no pharmacist so I won't trouble you if you need a refill a little early." He chuckled "You never know what kind of trouble Krillin will get into next."

Gohan laughed a little as he ran off the tower and flew into the cloudless sky. He yelled back at korin as he was flying off "Thanks for everything korin!"

The old cat replied enthusiastically "No problem kid!". He watched as Gohan slowly shrunk off into the distance, he rubbed his chin as he thought in silence.

_A very strange young boy, but he has a good heart. He'll make it. __Hope he visits more after this whole Cell Business though. _

_Kami knows I don't get enough visitors._


	9. Chapter 9: Seeds of Distrust

Gohan could now see Papaya island, he heard the cheers of the audience as Goku's battle with Giren took place and felt nervous because now he could sense the worriedness in Goku's ki. Gohan rarely felt his father become worried or anxious and feeling it now terrified him.

_Hold on daddy, I'll be there soon._

He landed near the edge of the tournament grounds and hopped over the perimeter wall that kept all those without an entry ticket from sneaking their way into the tournament stands. He ran through the Tournament Main Hall slower than he usually would have to avoid suspicion, just in case any of the staff saw him.

As he got closer to the ring he heard the cheers grow louder which caused his heart to beat faster and faster with every minute his father wasn't in his sight. As he made his way to the stage entrance he saw Master Roshi in the exact same spot as before not having moved a muscle since early that morning. He was distracted by a familiar yelling,

"C'mon Goku you can break through it! It's just some stupid gum anyway!"

Gohan looked up and saw Krillin hanging over the wall that contained the stage, he quickly joined him and assessed the situation.

Giren stood over Goku like a massive boulder, the sheer size difference was enough to make any audience member question the ethics of putting a little boy in a tournament full of adults, not to mention dragons. Most of the people watching hushed as the boy struggled to break free from the disgusting restraints holding him captive.

"Foolish boy, you can't break out of my miracle gum, its made from the toughest parts of me, so it's indestructible!" Giren laughed as he picked up Goku and held him over his head.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Goku asked.

Giren growled and said, "I'm throwing you out of the ring just like you did to me."

"Hey, that's no fair! I didn't tie you up when I did that!." Goku exclaimed

Giren grunted as he threw Goku as hard and as far as he could from the ring, the force of his throw was enough to fling Goku far out of the tournament grounds and over the city that was nearby. He stood there for a moment basking in his easy victory over what was clearly an overconfident toddler. "Ah, it's all too easy."

"What's too easy?" Goku asked innocently while still floating on the flying nimbus.

"WHAT?! W-What is that thing!"

Goku, while wobbling, stepped carefully off the cloud. "It's just my nimbus, he's really fast and caught me while I was falling."

Giren tried to stop the beads of sweat falling from his forehead, perhaps he misjudged his opponent, he's more resourceful than he originally gave him credit for. "H-hey, tournament guy! Isn't that cheating, it's technically an outside tool isn't it?"

The young announcer looked to his side where the panel of judges sat. The tournament implemented judges during the last tournament in case there ever are disagreements during or at the conclusion of a match. One of the judges motioned him to come closer. The audience waited impatiently as the elderly dog whispered into the young man's ear. "Yes, I see... Of course... Okay, got it."

The announcer stepped away from the judges and held the microphone to his mouth, "Goku has been found innocent of using an outside tool because the clouds are a part of the natural setting of the arena however, he is forbidden from using it again." Giren crossed his arms; he was slightly displeased by the judges ruling but accepted it nonetheless.

Goku hadn't been listening, he had started wandering around the stage scanning the audience for Gohan.

"Hey where are you going?" Giren asked.

Goku continued looking around the stadium. "Hold on mister Giren, just give me a second..."

"Give you a second?" He saw Goku begin waddling towards the edge of the stage. "Hey, just where do you think you're going?! We're in a match here!" He said. When he got no response he looked to the announcer for some insight as to what was going on but the man could only shrug his shoulders, he was just as lost as Giren.

"Up here Goku! We're up here!" Gohan yelled in an enthusiastic voice waving one of his arms along with Krillin.

Goku looked up to where he saw the two holding onto the walls. His vision focused onto Gohan and he felt his throat tense, he struggled to stay where he was, all he wanted to do was leave the arena and embrace his previously lost friend.

"Jack?! Where'd you go? I got so worried after you left during Krillins fight, I looked everywhere for you. I only stopped looking when the announcer came to get me because I was late for mine."

Gohan felt guilty that he put so much stress on his father. "I'm sorry Goku I just had some stuff to take care of, but I'm here now. I'll tell you all about what happened after the match but right now you've gotta' go beat up that monster!"

Goku smiled, happy to see his friend was all right "Yeah! I'll get em'." He said before waddling back over back to Giren, who was impatiently waiting for him.

Krillin looked jealously over at Gohan upset that Goku hadn't said a word to him.

_All Goku seems to talk about lately is you. What makes you so special? I've known Goku for almost a year now and he's never seemed that worried over me..._

Gohan sensed Krillins anger towards him and grew concerned "Something wrong Krillin?"

"Nope. Nothing's wrong" he said and looked back towards the stage.

Gohan knew that Krillin had lied to him but decided to say nothing because he didn't want to escalate things. They both looked towards the match which was finally beginning to resume.

"Well kid, after that fiasco, I think I'm tired of playing around with you. And, since you're all tied up, I'm gonna finish this fight nice and quick."

Gohan sensed Krillin's anger dissipate and fear take its place "Jack, he's really gonna hit him. Goku can't even fight back and Girens going to stomp right on him!"

Gohan smiled while looking over at the arena "Nah it's ok, Goku's tail is about to grow back anyway." Realizing what he'd just said he quickly glanced over at Krillin who was still watching in terror as his friend tried to break free, he hoped he didn't hear him.

Giren threw a massive left hook that connected with nothing but air, "What the-" He gazed at where his opponent should have been only to be met with the stares of the crowd. He looked at his left arm which was being held onto by a long furry brown tail, he looked down and saw Goku hanging from it.

Krillin was speechless, he looked over at Gohan with suspicion

_How did he know it would grow back? How did he even know Goku had a tail to begin with? I Didn't even know Goku had a tail!_

He heard Gohan cheer for Goku as he avoided the punch that certainly would have ended the match, but didn't really listen to what he said.

_Somethings off with you isn't it Jack? You always seem to know a bit more than you're letting on. I'm a good liar and can tell when other people are lying easily... but whether it was with the flying nimbus or Mount pau...pozo or whatever, the way you explained how you knew about them doesn't seem like a lie or the truth. Something about you just feels... weird. I'm keeping my eye on you._

"Yay! My tail grew back! All right!" Goku flung himself a few feet away "Now to get this stuff off me". He grounded himself and took a deep breath as he used every muscle he could to try and free himself from his gummy constraints. His face gradually turned red as he used every ounce of effort to try and rip the gum off of himself. He felt his constraints loosen and with a final burst of energy broke them. He breathed a sigh of relief "Man, those things were strong."

"How did you...What kind of..." Giren sighed "I give up" He waved a little white flag that seemed to materialize from nowhere.

Goku looked disappointedly over at Giren. "Aw come on really? But we just started."

The crowd cheered for Goku but his shoulders drooped as he slowly made his way off the stage. Goku's dissapointment faded as he remembered that Gohan was back.

Goku hurried passed the stage entrance for contestants and saw his friends. He grappled onto Gohan almost immediately causing Krillin to sigh, seeing someone who was supposed to be his best friend ignore him completely was seriously annoying.

"Where'd you go Jack? I thought you got hurt, I mean even at one point I thought I **_felt_** you get hurt, like on your arm or something." Goku let go of Gohan and inspected his shoulder which was slightly pale but sheened healthfully in the sunlight. "Maybe I'm just crazy..."

"No it's ok Goku, you technically aren't wrong." Gohan tried to think about his encounter with Gero without focusing on his words too much while also putting it in a way his young father could understand "I ran into this guy who really hates me and my dad. He said a lot of awful stuff about him and then tried to hurt me. He did hit my arm but other than that he didn't really put up much of a fight; I beat him pretty easily."

Goku smiled, he felt proud of Gohan for being so strong "I'm sorry he said that stuff about your dad." He patted Gohan's shoulder. "If your dad's good as you are he must have been really special."

Master Roshi finally moved from where he had been standing all morning "I do hate to interrupt, but Jack, you should know your match begins in the next five minutes. I recommend you head out on stage a little early to get acquainted with the announcer, he'll need a reminder on your name before your match."

He turned to Roshi and said, "Thanks Mister Chun."

Just before beginning to move towards the stage he remembered the senzu beans, he knew that he couldn't carry any outside tools with him on stage so he was forced to ask Goku. "Hey Goku could you hold this for me?" He handed a little brown pouch off to Goku, who quickly tied it around his waist. "It's super important so please don't lose it ok?"

Goku was puzzled "What's in it?"

"Just some stuff I got that helps if your very hurt. So please keep it really safe." Gohan said.

"I promise." Goku smiled while playfully flexing his arm "It's safe with me!"

"Great! Wish me luck!" Gohan said, waving as he ran out to meet with the announcer.

"You've got this!" Goku replied enthusiastically.

As Gohan disappeared from the arena entrance Goku turned to see Krillin standing behind him and he was clearly livid.

"You know Goku the way you just grab onto Jack is really creepy, I swear you crawl all over him like a mom would. Not to mention I was standing here the entire time but you didn't say a word to me, you're supposed my best friend so stop being so rude and ignoring me!"

Goku felt a tinge of shame over how he'd been acting and wanted to justify himself. "I'm sorry Krillin, I didn't mean to upset you. I know I've been focused on Jack a lot but that's because...I feel like I've known him forever. We may have just met Jack but I feel this closeness with him. I feel like...I love him like how I loved my grampa. And after he died I thought loving someone like that was..." Goku struggled with pronouncing the word "im-poss-ible."

"But Goku I don't think he's been telling you the whole story. He's hiding something!"

"Like what? Like a secret?"

"Yeah like a secret! Don't you think its a little funny how he looks like you, sounds like you, eats like you, lived near you and was alone like you? He even knew you had a tail, did you ever tell him you had a tail?"

Goku frowned. "I don't think so..."

"Exactly. That's why I think he's-"

"Let the match begin!" The sudden loudness of the announcement disrupted the conversation.

Goku's face was a mixture of hurt and betrayal "Look, Krillin all this stuff makes my head hurt and I just want to go watch Jack fight. Can we please talk about this later?"

Krillin sighed, upset, and exhausted after his spiel. "Fine Goku. If you really want to push this off, we'll talk about it later."


	10. Chapter 10: Truth be told

Goku was the only one to hop on the wall this time, Krillin stayed at the bottom watching the fight next to where the disguised Master Roshi stood. He was still frustrated that Goku refused to talk about how suspicious of a character Jack seemed to be.

Goku wasn't handling it much better, he hung there, holding to the top of the wall, as Gohan and Nam prepared to fight. He reflected on Krillin's outburst.

_I guess Krillin is kinda right. Jack does seem to act a little strange sometimes, but he couldn't be hiding anything from me, could he? He seems so caring and nice..._

He rubbed his temple as the gears in his head turned.

_I don't know...I don't like thinking like this, I should just watch the fight._

He lifted his head a little higher to get a better view of the entire arena, he could see Gohan standing firm as he prepared for Nam to make the first move.

Gohan felt himself become unbelievably impatient as he waited for Nam's attack. Nam's calm disposition as he stood completely motionless almost egged Gohan on to make the first attack. Eventually, Nam broke from his stance and tried to talk to him. "Child, I do not wish to hurt you, I request that you surrender this match. I have come to this tournament seeking to bring water to my village with my winnings. I wish not for you to be harmed in my quest."

Hearing Nam plead for his surrender was definitely unexpected, most of the people at the tournament had been pretty cruel so far. And hearing of Nam's noble goal of brining water to his village made Gohan wonder how he could justify beating him, especially knowing that he was participating in the tournament just to be around his father more. He felt ashamed that he would take away any chance of winning that Nam had. "Mister Nam, sir, I appreciate your concern but I really wouldn't be worried about me. I'll be just fine. And if I win this fight and move on to fight in the championships I promise I will give you my earnings...if I win. You seem like you need it way more than me."

Nam was stunned by his opponent's good nature, he appreciated that Gohan would offer his winnings to him. "I thank you for such a gracious offer. I promise that when I win this match you will not be harmed beyond some minor bruising."

He rushed forward at Gohan quicker than most other opponents due to his slender body but even his run looked like a crawl to Gohan. He stood completely still, not even in a defensive stance, and once Nam closed the distance Gohan dodged his punches and kicks with ease, but still managed to make it look like he was struggling, at least from the perspective of the audience. Gohan began his counter attack with a light uppercut to the stomach, causing Nam to be thrown a few feet back into the arena floors cold concrete.

Nam lifted himself off the ground, panting heavily he said "Impressive. Your speed and technique are most admirable, I am sorry but...I must retract my statement from earlier. It is clear to me that you are much more powerful than I originally thought. I am sorry to have to do this to you." Nam crouched and shot up like a bullet into the sky, moving as fast as he possibly could. As he reached his peak height he spoke, although he knew no one could hear him, "This attack will not kill you but it will be immensely painful, many have not awakened until many days after suffering its strength and might." He crossed his arms and aimed downward to where Gohan stood "Forgive me.".

Gohan saw as Nam dove through the air traveling at a speed that he could now recognize as someone taking a brisk walk. When Nam was just seconds away from hitting Gohan he sidestepped incredibly quickly, so fast even Goku had trouble seeing it. Realizing that he was going to slam into the floor Nam braced but instead of hitting concrete he was kicked in the stomach by Gohan, sending him firmly out of bounds and into the grass surrounding the stage.

The audience was completely silent, still in shock from the amazing performance they just witnessed. Slowly the announcer rose the microphone to his mouth and spoke, "I-I don't believe it. That speed was incredible! Jack is the winner!" The announcer leaped onto the stage and lifted Gohan's arm high up above him "How incredible am I right? Such an incredible young lad!" He turned to Gohan and asked, "Say, Jack, how old are you?". Gohan blushed as he wasn't used to getting so much attention at once.

"I'm" He cleared his throat, "eleven."

"Wow! absolutely amazing isn't he? Just eleven years old and he's going to the semi-finals! Give him a hand folks!" The audience cheered for the shy boy as he gave a quick wave and then ran off stage back towards the entrance.

Gohan slowed his pace as he passed Krillin who gave him a half-hearted "Good job Jack." This new tone upset him, he wasn't used to Krillin being so harsh and cold. He was under the assumption that Krillin was always the selfless, kind, caring friend he grew up knowing. As he walked away he gave a rather quiet and hurt "Thanks Krillin." When he made it to his father, Goku hopped off the wall to greet him. "Jack, that was amazing! You were so fast, you were even hard for me to see! And you said your only eleven, wow! I'm twelve and you are just as fast as me!"

Gohan worried he may have shown off a little too much. "Thanks, Goku..."

Goku's face filled with worry as he heard the displeasure in his friend's response "What's wrong? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. It's just-" Goku cut him off and Gohan could see he was angry.

"Krillin being mean to you? I don't know what his deal is, as soon as you left for your match he came over to me and said you were acting funny, he kept talking about how it was weird you looked like me and ate like me. He also said you knew about my tail." Goku's tone shifted and he softly said "I never told you about my tail Jack so how'd you know? Y-You're not, hiding something from me, right?" Goku blushed and felt stupid for even asking the question.

Gohan looked at the ground, unsure of how to answer, eventually, a response came to him although he was ashamed it involved more lying "No Goku I'm not hiding anything, I promise".

It broke his heart to lie to his father.

Goku's face was now full of angst and anticipation. "You promise?"

Gohan looked up to meet Goku's eyes. "I promise."

Goku's spirit seemed to lift but was still curious, "Well how'd you know about my tail then?"

"My dad told me a story once that an old man who lived by us found a boy in the woods and that boy was incredibly strong but also had a tail. I assume your grandpa is Gohan right?" he said, realizing it felt odd saying his own name out loud.

"Yeah! that's my grampa!"

"Right, so I just assumed you lost your tail and that it would grow back." He silently breathed a sigh of relief as he could see Goku's satisfaction with his response despite it not making perfect sense how Gohan would know the exact moment it would grow back.

Goku hugged him, finally relaxed after hearing what seemed to be a rational explanation for the entire ordeal "That's great to hear! Krillin got me all worked up over nothin' ". Gohan hugged him back trying to bury the guilt of his lies before they turned into tears like they always did.

Gokus stomach growled causing him to let go of his friend and rub his belly "Man am I starving! Hey, do you want to go get something to eat? It's almost lunchtime anyway."

Gohan put away his worries as he noticed he was starving too "Yeah that sounds great." The two began walking off but Gohan stopped because he noticed Krillin wasn't with them, he looked back to see Krillin standing next to the arena entrance, no doubt trying to ignore the two. "Hold on Goku, I'm gonna see if I can get Krillin to come with us." He walked over to the jealous bald boy who refused to even look at him. "Krillin are you upset with me? I'm sorry if I upset you."

Krillin spoke harshly "I heard your whole conversation, I know you're lying to him. Don't even bother trying to cover it up. What I don't get is why?"

"Krillin I'm not lying I-"

"You are! And now you're trying to lie to me!"

Roshi intervened "That's enough!" The two could clearly see the red hot, fiery frustration in his face "Now I may just be a handsome bystander but this old man knows that you two are fighting over nothing. Krillin it's clear that he isn't lying, think about it, what does he stand to gain by lying, hm? It's ridiculous to believe that he would lie over something as simple as a silly tail."

Krillin rubbed his head thinking up a witty response "Oh yeah? Well, what do you know huh? You're just some old guy competing in the tournament, you probably need help with going to the bathroom at your age."

Roshi's face grew red, trying to be patient with an insolent student wasn't as easy as it used to be. "Why you!" He stopped himself from yelling. "Listen here, you think your good at telling when people are lying? Well, I know when people are lying. It's a technique I learned many years ago, out on the outer reaches of the globe, and it is a technique that takes decades to learn and even more time to perfect. I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that Jack hasn't told a single lie since I met you boys here at the tournament. And just to note, I can still go to the bathroom by myself you little twerp."

Krillin stood silently, feeling dumb for even having come up with the notion that his newfound friend would lie about anything considering that there seemed to be no real reason for it. Feeling a sense of clarity he turned to face Gohan and sighed. "I'm sorry, maybe I just got too jealous that Goku's made a new friend, especially since I've been the only kid he's been around for the past eight months."

Gohan saw the genuineness in his apology "Its ok Krillin. You're my friend too!" He went in for a hug and winked at Roshi who seemingly knew just what to say to clear any suspicion. The old man smiled mischievously back.

"Good now that you two have made up go enjoy some lunch I can see Goku is pacing back and forth over there waiting for this conversations conclusion. Oh and make sure that Yamcha eats as well, he will need every advantage he can get before facing against the mighty Jackie Chun!"

Goku walked over to the group with his hands resting behind his head "Speaking of Yamcha, where is he?"

Roshi chuckled a little "He was under the impression that you had to wait in the Main Hall and that you couldn't watch the fights hehe."

Goku immediately disappeared from the group, eager to stuff his face, he collected Yamcha as fast as he could. The group collectively laughed as Yamcha was dragged out of the Hall without so much as an explanation from Goku.

"Ok everybody's here, let's go eat!" Goku said, again running ahead of the group as they made their way to the all-you-can-eat buffet the tournament had hosted. He looked behind him to see that Chun was not joining them. "Um, Mister Chun aren't you hungry? You should come eat with us."

Roshi looked down at the boy, he saw Goku carrying that same smile he seemed to have everywhere he went. "Oh, thank you Goku, you are a fine young man, but I don't eat the day of a tournament. It is strategic fasting."

Goku confusedly responded "But being hungry won't make you faster at all, will it? and how is that stru-tegic?"

Roshi couldn't help but laugh at the boy's innocence "You crack me up you know that? hehe. Just go get some food, the next time you'll see me will be on stage where you can see just how fast I-" He paused, Goku had already run back up with the rest of his group, ready to feast on whatever the tournament chefs offered to him.

After their short walk over to the cafeteria, the group was seated and brought tray after tray of extravagant courses. Fried fish, buttery shrimp, t-bone steaks, whole chickens, fresh vegetables, fruits, rice, and even a chocolate cake all came complementary with their semi-finalist status. Goku and Gohan could hardly contain themselves seeing the massive portions being laid out in front of them and salivated like rabid dogs.

They consumed plate after plate of food quickly and without mercy. Yamcha and Krillin watched in horror as the two seemed to wolf down half the tables food within a matter of minutes. Gohan noticed neither were eating,

"What's wrong guys?" He swallowed the fish he was chewing "It's all free, dig in!"

Goku, having no concept of money, chimed in "Yeah! Whatever 'free' means, it's delicious!"

The group finished their meal and walked slowly back to where the match would begin. They could see Chun stretching before stepping onto the stage, meeting a warm welcome from the audience. Yamcha took this as his signal to get going.

"Alright, guys. Watch me show you how it's done." Yamcha walked passed them out onto the path up to the stage. He could hear the swooning women in the crowd as he walked by, but one voice stood out in particular

"Kick his butt Yamcha!"

He could see Bulma, Puar and Oolong in the audience, he gave a cocky grin and waved as he stepped onto his battlefield. He was met by a familiar yellow-haired man wearing sunglasses

"Alright you two line up at opposite ends of the stage and we can begin. Remember there are no time restrictions and the fight is finished when one fighter can no longer compete with the other. The only rule is no killing; if you do accidentally kill your opponent you are disqualified." He could see both were ready to get the fight underway and he was happy to get it started, he quickly walked offstage.

"You may begin!"

Yamcha immediately took his preferred stance and was unnerved to see Chun had stayed standing still, not lifting a finger, completely unguarded.

_What's with this guy? I could hit him right now and there'd be nothing he could do to stop it. He must either be extremely confident or incredibly foolish._

Yamcha decided to take this opportunity while it presented itself, he leaped into the air towards his opponent hoping to get in a few opening hits. He attempted to punch then kick Chun who easily dodged both attacks with incredible speed. Yamcha continued with an assault of punches aimed towards his head, all of which seemed to phase right through the old man. He hopped away, landing on one foot and decided to goad Yamcha hoping for more aggression. "That time you almost touched me."

His attempt to anger Yamcha had worked, "Oh yeah? Well, let's see how well you dodge against my Wolf Fang Fist!"

Yamcha charged forward his open hands glowing red with the energy of his signature attack, Chun's expression was one of complete tranquility and calm as he dodged the rapid punches. As the barrage neared its end Chun jumped from the stage onto the exterior wall and pushed off of it landing behind Yamcha, he moved his hands to his chest and took in a deep breath

"You must be tired after using up all that energy. Let me cool you down with this refreshing summer breeze!"

He motioned his hands forwards causing a massive wind to push Yamcha from the stage landing gently on the soft grass, out of bounds.


	11. Chapter 11: Could you carry me?

Everyone was captivated by the seemingly impossible feat performed before them, by an old man no less. They all waited in eager anticipation for what the announcer would say next

"I can't believe it! I don't know how but Jackie Chun was able to harness the power of the wind to push his opponent from the ring! When I first met this man he called himself legendary, a title I believed just for show, but he has proven me wrong, he is truly one of the greatest contestants to ever grace this ring! Please give him some applause ladies and gentlemen!" The crowd erupted into a mass of cheers and whistles all with a resounding love for the elderly man who seemed to defy reality by harnessing the elements around him.

Yamcha, who was laying outside the ring, was dazed by his opponent's incredible attack and laid there caressing the back of his head which hit the ground first. He rolled over and pushed himself up somehow finding the strength to walk outside of the arena and make his way back into the entrance to the main hall. Although he lost he took solace in knowing that the skill and technique of his opponent were far above anything anyone could have anticipated. He greeted Goku, Gohan, and Krillin who saw his approach and fell from the wall to greet him as he entered

"Hey guys." He paused as he began to fall over; Goku quickly propped him up in time for Yamcha to steady himself "That is NOT what I meant by 'let me show you how it's done'". He decided it was probably better to sit down than to risk falling over so he propped himself up against the arena perimeter wall and let himself slide to the floor. "That guy was incredible, I trained for months in the harsh wilderness to prepare for this tournament and I couldn't lay a finger on him. Whichever one of you gets him as an opponent I do hope you do better me"

Yamcha heard the familiar elderly tone "You did just fine. Especially for someone who has had no formal training." He looked up and saw Chun as he walked to the boys who had gathered around Yamcha. "Yes, I'd say that Master Roshi you were talking about would be happy to have a student as naturally gifted as you."

Gohan smiled and rolled his eyes as everyone gasped at the idea of Yamcha training with Master Roshi

Yamcha gratefully replied "Thanks, that means a lot especially coming from the guy who blew me from the ring without laying a finger on me. Where'd you learn to do that anyway?"

Chun stroked his beard "You learn a great many things when you travel the world learning about all the various forms and cultures surrounding the martial arts." He sweat a little hoping to try and cover his mystique with a little humor "Of course, sometimes you can't always train with the best! I mean compared to that handsome devil Master Roshi, boy I don't think I'd stand a chance!" He grew slightly nervous as his attempt at humor fell flat with his audience of three.

Goku interjected "Speaking of Master Roshi, has anybody seen him? When I was in my match with Giren I looked around and I didn't see him anywhere."

Gohan quickly came up with a cover story "When I wasn't feeling well I went outside of the tournament grounds and I think Master Roshi was shopping around for gifts or something. Maybe getting presents for you guys for after the tournament."

Krillin laughed "Yeah that or dirty magazines."

Roshi gave a silent nod to Gohan signifying his thanks, the boy smiled and nodded back

"Why would he want those? If they're dirty then just go get nicer ones. I'm sure someone in the city will give him some nice magazines." Goku confusedly said

"That's not what I meant Goku." Krillin said as he saw Goku's curiosity lessen as the topic didn't interest him.

"Do you guys know when the next fight will be? I'm super excited! It's just me, Jack, and you mister Chun right?"

Roshi grinned, happy to see his pupil so excited for the next match "I do believe that you and Jack are up next and then it's Krillin and me." Roshi saw as the blood drained from Krillin's face but was quickly distracted by the excited giggling of Goku who relished the challenge of fighting 'Jack'.

Gohan had not counted on this. The day had been so hectic he hadn't considered the possibility he would make it far enough to where he would have to fight his father. He began thinking through the possible outcomes of the fight, what if he hit him too hard? What if he didn't hit him hard enough, causing more suspicion? He tried to calm himself

_It's ok as long as I have the senzu beans nothing I could do could really hurt him. I hope..._

"Isn't that exciting Jack?"

Gohan dialed back in, he glanced over to Goku who seemed to be waiting for a response "I'm sorry what?"

"I said our match should be starting any time now isn't that exciting!?" Goku grabbed Gohan's shoulders and shook him a little.

Gohan felt comforted seeing how excited his father was for the match. He reaffirmed in himself that he had enough control over his ki to where his attacks would only slightly bruise his brittle father. He tried to look as happy as he possibly could "Yeah Goku it'll be great."

The short time between matches passed and before they knew it Goku and Gohan were walking out together onto the stage. The announcer saw the two stand next to each other and hadn't noticed how similar they looked before. He hadn't seen the two together yet, he would have found it difficult to tell which is which except for the significantly crazier mess of hair that sat on Gokus head (and Gohans purple gi). He led the two on stage and decided to interview them in front of the crowd. He held the microphone up to Goku's face

"So, Goku, you never told us you joined the tournament with your little brother, were you planning on keeping it a surprise on the off chance you would be set in a match like this?"

Goku looked at the small metallic hatch crossed ball sitting atop a black cone "What is this? Is it for me?"

Gohan whispered into Goku's ear explaining what the strange object was.

"Oh ok!" He spoke into the microphone "This is Jack he's just my friend. I um..." He scratched his head "I don't think I have any brothers."

"Well, that certainly is interesting considering how similar you guys look. I suppose I could ask about a more pressing question, Goku whats with the tail?" He pointed downwards attracting much attention from the audience who was just as curious as their charismatic host "Is it real?"

"My tail? Well, how about I just show you." He began untying his belt.

Gohan blushed and grabbed onto Goku's waist just before he tried to slide his pants down "Goku! Bad idea! Keep your pants on." He was incredibly embarrassed that his father was this clueless at his age.

"Why? They just want to see my tail." His comment was met with nervous laughter from the people in the stands, along with one loud disappointed sigh from Bulma that seemed to break out from the other noise of the crowd.

The announcer seconded Gohan's opinion "Yeah that's ok, I think we'll just take your word for it. We don't need any complaints filed for public indecency, we already get enough heat from the law for letting kids participate in the tournament, I don't think we need a lawsuit." He waited for Goku to retie his belt "Alright well I think that's enough interviewing are you two ready to fight?"

Goku could hardly contain himself "Yeah! I'll go to my spot." He moved as fast as possible into the opposite corner of the arena. He waited impatiently as Gohan made his way to his. Goku was eager for the words he had been waiting to hear the entire time he was onstage

"Alright, you may begin!"

Goku sprung as soon as the announcer had finished, opening the fight with a spread of different kicks and punches aimed at his opponent's center. Gohan blocked every one of them with ease being as gentle as he could with each counter he made. He felt like he could stay in this moment forever, he loved to see just how happy his father was, he could see the expression of pure ecstasy as they continued to jump, kick and throw punches at each other. The glimmer in his eyes seemed to grow brighter and brighter as the fight continued which made Gohan more hesitant to fight back. He decided after blocking the first couple of attacks that he at least had to make one of his own, he gave a light kick to Gokus legs which unintentionally floored him.

Gohan could visibly see Goku's exhaustion as he slowly stood up, his shoulders drooped a little as he tried to catch his breath. Gohan tried to emulate the exhaustion but he had always been a terrible actor, good thing he knew Goku wasn't too observant otherwise he would have caught on to the scheme.

"You're really good! But I thought of a new move while we were fighting!"

Gohan smiled, excited to see that his father still came up with moves on the fly just like he did whenever he got to see him fight. He thought back to Namek and remembered sensing the underwater double kamehama trick his father used to distract Frieza long enough to plant his feet right into his smug face, his father's resourcefulness always amazed him.

He tried to sound as breathless as possible "Really? What's it called?"

"Tornado!"

Gohan looked as Goku began to spin himself around becoming so fast that he blurred into a mess of black and orange. He immediately jumped back and got into a defensive stance. He silently acknowledged his father's ingenuity; spinning is a good trick. Spinning made Goku impossible to hit unless he targeted his head and made getting close dangerous unless he wanted to get smacked by his rotating arms. However, it would only be a brief moment before Goku would get dizzy and be incapable of blocking any kind of attack. Gohan took this opportunity to lower his ki and intentionally lose the match. Besides the fact that he couldn't risk hurting him to the point where he would be unable to face Master Roshi Gohan found it incredibly difficult to find the nerve to hit Goku, he had already killed him once he couldn't do it again.

He made a slow and lazy attempt to dodge as the tornado quickly made its way over. He lowered his energy as far as he could preparing himself for each hit that connected to feel like a blunt club bashing his arms, stomach, and face.

Master Roshi looked in from the sidelines, he felt the fluctuation of emotions throughout the entire match and stood, baffled by how willing Gohan was to be pummeled by an otherwise avoidable attack.

_All that guilt, surfacing once again. Poor boy, I wonder what happened. What would make you so willing to be beaten just to avoid throwing a punch at your father?_

Gohan was flung back off the stage by the force of the attack; but, before he could raise his defenses again, the back of his head smashed into the wall which crumbled as he connected with it. He was dizzy and nearly passed out but was overjoyed he wouldn't have to be in the ring anymore. no more stressing over the tournament, now he could just sit back and enjoy without the worry of hurting anyone in any more unnecessary fights.

Goku stopped spinning, he was a little dizzy but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle, he was more worried over the fact he just sent Jack flying from the ring. The crowd initially cheered but grew quiet as he ran over to check on his friend which laid under broken bricks, he turned a bleach-like white.

"Jack are you ok?" He moved the debris off of him and lifted his head, clearing the dust from his eyes and cheeks.

He coughed "I'm fine..."

Goku was relieved to see he hadn't hurt him too badly, he lifted Gohan and hugged him

"Jeez, I thought I really hurt you. I'm sorry."

Gohan was still disoriented and not completely aware of where he was. He put his hand on his father's chest feeling around for his shoulders. He felt tired, he felt overwhelmingly tired. It had reminded him of all the times Goku picked him up and carried him home after a long and exhausting day of training for the arrival of the androids. His memories seemed to blend and mix with reality, he was convinced he was that innocent seven-year-old boy again and he really was being held by his father at the end of an eternally long training day.

His voice was strained but he sounded particularly pleased "That's ok Daddy, I'm sure mom won't be too mad; I'll just say I got hurt on one of our hikes. Can Mister Piccolo head to the lookout a little early? I don't think I can train anymore today." He let out a small grin "Can we can go home?". After some searching, he was able to find Goku's shoulders, he wrapped his arms around them and his legs around his torso, expecting him to pick him up as easily as he usually could. "I'm so tired Daddy... c-could you carry me?"

Goku frowned, he worried that he did do some real damage "What?"

Gohan felt some clarity as he heard his prepubescent father's voice, his eyes opened and the dizziness faded a little, he quickly released his hold. He stood up and struggled to keep his balance. He moved his hand to the back of his head which throbbed and ached in waves as he touched it.

"Sorry Goku, I think you hit me harder than I thought." His strength suddenly deserted him and he collapsed back into Goku's arms falling unconscious shortly after.

The crowd cheered and clapped for the two, touched to see friendship in a competition where so many people were eager to tear each other apart. As Goku walked back carrying Gohan he felt more and more conflicted. He felt as if when Gohan was talking, he was talking directly to him. The tone and the warmth in Gohan's voice just felt aimed towards him rather than whoever Goku imagined he was speaking to.

As he made his way to the entrance he could see Yamcha, Krillin and Chun gather around as he led Gohan into the Main Hall. The tournament was always very courteous to their finalists and the Main Hall was no exception. Its architecture resembled that of many eastern religious buildings but was furnished with extravagant couches and seats for contestants as they waited for their match, Goku laid Gohan down on one of the particularly spongy red sofas.

Krillin surprisingly was the first to say anything

"Wow Goku, you see what I mean when I worry you're too strong for your own good."

Goku answered in a voice riddled with guilt "Yeah I see what you mean, but there was no way that attack should have hurt him this badly. I know he was nowhere near as tired as I was, there's just no way one attack like that could hurt him this much. It doesn't make any sense."

Roshi was quick to cover up any suspicion "Ah you see Goku, he was distracted. The sunlight blinded him making him vulnerable to your attacks."

Goku seemed unsatisfied "But even still, I would have figured he'd jump back at least. I would never mean to hurt him this bad."

Yamcha chimed in trying to lighten the mood "Yeah well now he knows how I felt."

Gohan slowly awoke, he opened his eyes and looked up into the concerned faces of Goku, Yamcha, Krillin, and Jackie Chun.

"Hey guys, sorry to scare you like that. I hit my head really hard" He struggled to stay awake as he extended his hand toward Goku.

Goku grabbed onto it trying helping the boy sit up. After finding that sitting up made the dizziness much worse Gohan decided to lay back down. Goku quickly let go of his hand as soon as he could, feeling incredibly guilty for hurting Gohan that much.

"I think I'm alright, although I definitely won't be fighting for a while" Just saying that made him feel better. The fact that there would be no more worrying over not showing too much strength but not showing too little relaxed him. "I think I'll stick to spectating from here on out" he laughed which served to intensify his headache, causing him to rub his wounded head softly.

Goku shifted himself around the sofa to be behind Gohan he propped the back of his head up to inspect it "Are you ok Jack? I'm sorry I hit you that hard. I didn't mean t-"

"Hey, it's ok." He reached behind himself to rub Goku's shoulder "Don't worry about it, it's a competition remember?"

Goku smiled and was relieved to see Gohan wasn't angry with him "Yeah...I guess so"

Gohan was eager to see his father fight Master Roshi and hurried along the conversation

"Speaking of competition, when's the next match?"

Krillin gulped "It's me against Jackie Chun."

Goku tried to encourage Krillin "Hey it's ok Krillin during your fight with that really smelly guy you moved way faster than Yamcha did so I think you'll do great"

Yamcha didn't appreciate the unintended insult "Gee, thanks Goku. You do know I haven't gotten the opportunity for special training like you two, I'd like to see just how far you'd make it on your own."

He laughed "Sorry Yamcha! I didn't mean it like that."


	12. Chapter 12: Roshi's Marathon

Yamcha rolled his eyes jokingly "Sure you didn't"

Everyone gritted their teeth as they heard a sudden high pitched screech. They all looked up at a large black speaker suspended above them, wedged in the corner where the ceiling met the walls.

**Would both fighters Jackie Chun and Krillin please report to the stage, the match is currently being delayed due to both of your absences.**

Gohan saw Roshi and Krillin scurry out of the main hall as fast as their legs could carry them. It amused him to see just how awkward they looked when in a full sprint; one an old man struggling to keep his fake hair from falling off as he ran and the other a bald boy with a disproportionately small body, trying to keep the weight from his own head from off-balancing him. Clearly Yamcha and Goku found it funny because they both were laughing at them too.

He tried getting up but the headache seemed to intensify with every effort he put into doing so. He didn't want to go through the trouble of asking for the bag of senzu beans back from Goku and risk him finding out about them before meeting Korin. He decided there was only one course of action

"Goku?"

Goku's laughing subsided and he turned back to see what Gohan needed. Almost instinctively, he knew what he was going to ask.

"Yeah? You need help?"

Gohan nodded bashfully.

Goku carefully scooped his arms beneath Gohan and lifted him off the couch, compared to what he'd been carrying back in his training with Master Roshi lifting him took hardly any effort.

"C'mon Yamcha! Let's go watch!" He could see that Yamcha was eager to get out there considering he hadn't seen a single fight yet, he began to run ahead. Goku deliberately slowed himself to ask Gohan a question

"Hey, Jack. Who's Mister Piccolo?"

Gohan grew nervous as he tried to come up with an explanation, he fumbled with words and instinctively blurted out "I don't know".

"Huh, that's funny because you mentioned him going to the look-out, whatever that is, early. You were still waking up from hitting the wall during our match when you talked about him. It sounded like he was a friend of your dad's because you said he trained with you guys."

"Yeah, that all sounds kind of strange..." He could see that his father believed him but he still cursed himself for being such an awful liar; he could have come up with a million different things to say and yet he chose to go with the basic 'i don't know', how stupid could he be?

Goku eventually made his way outside of the Main Hall still carrying Gohan. He looked around for a good spot to see the match and found a massive hole where he'd usually hop up to watch.

Yamcha laughed "Well Jack, at least when you smashed into that wall you gave us a pretty good way to watch the fight."

Gohan laughed but winced, he grabbed his head and felt the pain worsen. Goku hadn't thought the quip very funny and continued on like he hadn't heard anything, still feeling a tinge of guilt for the pain he was indirectly causing Gohan now.

The wall was broken down to the first layer of brickwork making it the perfect height to watch the tournament while sitting. Goku laid Gohan down in the grass next to the hole and sat by him, he patted the ground where he thought Yamcha should sit.

He said in an excited tone "Right here Yamcha, you're much taller than me so you should be able to see great from here!"

"Thanks Goku but I think I'll stand. I've been sitting all morning anyway." He jokingly glared at his young friend "Considering no one told me that you were able to watch the fights."

Goku waved his hand in dismissal "Those fights aren't gonna be as cool as the next couple!"

He turned to Gohan who seemed to relish the cool grass on his aching head "Speaking of fights, do you want to sit up and watch Jack?"

Gohan struggled to sit up but the pain magnified as he lifted his head off the ground prompting him to cease his efforts "Y-yeah but I don't think I can get up myself."

"That's ok, I've got you." Goku said assuringly

Goku lifted him up against his right side trying to sit him up as straight as possible. He reached around Gohan and propped him against his shoulder, just as added security to stop him from leaning and falling over. Although reluctant at first, Gohan eventually rested his head on Goku because keeping it up straight also worsened the headache. It was the happiest he felt since before the Cell Games. Being cuddled by his father and waiting for the fight to begin, it reminded him of what normal fathers did with their sons at baseball games. Of course, he never had the chance to go to one and his father at this point was twelve but the situations seemed comparable enough.

They both eagerly watched as the announcer took to his stage.

"All right ladies and gentlemen this is the last match before the Grand Finals! In one corner we have the incredibly gifted student from the world-renowned Master Roshi, Krillin!" He waved happily to the crowd which gave a rowdy cheer for him "And in the other corner we have the amazing Jackie Chun, a man who's shown more skill today than I think I have ever seen in any contestant prior. Let's give them both a hand!" The crowd's cheers grew louder and louder in restless anticipation for what would surely be an amazing match.

Krillin stood in his corner, unnerved by his opponent's previous shows of strength and skill. He tried to think back to the preliminaries, what was it Goku had said to him then?

_Go show him that you're better than he is! Go show em' what you're made of!_

Those were it, the words of encouragement he needed right now. He felt his heart slow and his spirit calm, he would try his best to win this fight.

Roshi took notice and was impressed by his ki, he was sure it would feel nervous, perhaps even excited, but he only felt its peaceful calmness. "Good job Krillin. Such intense focus isn't easily attained. Let's see what the great turtle hermit taught you!"

The announcer raised the microphone to his mouth and energetically said "You may begin!"

"Ready or not here I come!" Krillin yelled as he ran wildly towards Roshi. He opened with just a couple of punches that Roshi easily dodged and continued with a flurry of kicks. Krillin's speed had surprised the old man who seemed so sure that his student's abilities were far below the fighter he faced now. He flipped backward to avoid Krillins lightning-fast strikes but Krillin didn't let up, he continued with more speedy punches, one of which would have hit Roshi if he didn't grab it first.

Goku watched the fight progress and midway through something urged him to stand, he felt like something was about to happen, he felt like some unforeseen event was about to transpire and it required his presence. He lowered Gohan down gently on the grass being careful to lay his head last.

"Hold on Jack. I'll be back in just a second."

Gohan was confused at what his father was planning as he saw him run to his right and lay on top of the wall. He focused back in on the fight just as the 'mysterious' Jackie Chun spoke to Krillin.

"Not bad kid there's some real power behind those punches. But let's check your speed."

The old man arched his back and raised his arms, dropping his hands at the wrist. He struck so fast Krillin hadn't had time to react, he was smacked backward into the perimeter wall that still contained part of the stage's floor. He slid down it landing on his rear, he rested there completely flabbergasted.

"T-that hit... I didn't even see it"

Goku could see just how disoriented Krillin was, he decided a little friendly advice was necessary "Hey, Krillin get up! Look he's fast-"

He looked over to see Goku leaning over the perimeter wall, he promptly interrupted "Uh, yeah!"

"So what? You are too, besides I could see his attack and you can too you've had the same training as me. You just missed that one."

Krillin let out a contemplative 'hm' and ran back over to face his opponent.

Goku hopped off the wall and sat back down with Gohan, propping him up again so he could see. Gohan was astounded, at his age he knew Goku couldn't sense much of anything.

"Goku?"

Goku took his eyes off the match to meet whatever question he had for him "Yeah?"

"How did you know that would happen?" Gohan asked confusedly

Goku scratched his head "I dunno' I guess I just saw it coming."

Gohan hid his confusion in an attempt to deter any more interest Goku might have in his question; he looked back at the stage just as Goku did. They saw both Roshi and Krillin charge at each other with incredible speed, both landing on opposite ends of the stage. Krillin was crouched with his hands stretched far out to his sides but his pose broke as he collapsed onto the floor.

Roshi looked over at the announcer who was still processing the impossible speed shown by both during their unseeable face-off. He confidently stated "This is where you begin counting"

The announcer looked back in agreement "O-Of course"

"1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9-"

Krillin slowly got back up, rolling his head around an audible crack and crunch could be heard.

Roshi was wide-eyed and in disbelief, it was beyond incredible that Krillin was able to move let alone stand after such a devastating attack. He readied himself for another round, Krillin seemed to catch a second wind after what should have been a finishing blow. Before they could continue the announcer stepped in and requested a halt to the match

"I'm sorry for intervening gentlemen but I think we would all like to know what happened in the split second where you two ran at each other, I don't think anyone caught it."

Roshi happily responded, "Sure, after all, you should know what your paying to see". He and Krillin then explained all the little details that took place in that half of a second they were fighting. With pinpoint accuracy, they described their brutal confrontation. The story grew so intricate with the many details that the announcer had to take notes on his clipboard just to get an accurate timeline.

Krillin, attempting to conclude the ever-lengthening presentation, pointed to where his disguised master had hit him "I landed right there but I couldn't keep it together, so I passed out."

The man shifted his glasses "Yes...we saw that part. And all of this happened in that short of a time span?"

Both Roshi and Krillin nodded

He lowered his clipboard and shifted the microphone back towards his face "How absolutely incredible! These fighters really are something special arent they!? All that in just a split second? Yes, I believe this truly is a match for the ages. Sorry for interrupting your fight gentlemen please continue."

They both got into their fighting stances and Krillin prepared his secret weapon, he felt bad really, knowing that what he was about to do was completely underhanded and would destroy his opponent entirely. He smirked and quickly threw a pair of woman's underwear out onto the field. Instinctively the turtle hermit lunged for them only to be met with a furious kick that sent him flying from the ring and outside of the tournament grounds.

As he flew through the air and over the city he exclaimed

"I've been had!"

He saw that he was quickly falling to the streets beneath him and decided he had to use his signature move to propel him back to the stage

"Ka-me-ha-me-ha!" His plan had worked, the beam pushed him in the opposite direction right back into the tournament grounds. As flew over the stage he stopped the beam and landed gently in front of now the scared-stiff Krillin.

Yamcha was amazed as he saw the old men blast dissipate and his suspicions rose to the surface again

_See I knew something wasn't right. There's no way any old man appears at the World Martial Arts Tournament, looks and behaves so similarly to Master Roshi, and knows the kamehameha! Not to mention that I haven't seen that old man all day, he wasn't with Bulma, Puar and Oolong in the audience so Chun must b__e__ Roshi!_

He stroked his beard "Clever. Very resourceful Krillin, you almost had me with that one. Good job."

Krillin looked over at Goku and Gohan "Well what am I gonna do now!?"

Goku replied from the sideline, "Beat him!"

Krillin shook his head "Gee thanks..."

Roshi took this distraction as an opportunity to end the fight in style. He disappeared from Krillin's vision and reappeared behind him, swooping both arms down he chopped at the sides of the boy's neck knocking him out instantly. He held up a peace sign as the audience cheered wildly for their new elderly finalist.

"Thank you! I'll leave my phone number posted on the board outside of the tournament grounds, ladies only please!" He waved as he picked the boy up and carried him offstage and back into the main hall.

The announcer took this time to address the audience

"All right everyone. Are you having a great time? I think this has been the most exciting tournament in years! We will continue with the final match in just thirty minutes, please take this time to refill your confectionaries at the many tournament vendors or use the restroom. You won't want to miss any of this exciting battle between the amazing Jackie Chun and the incredible Goku!"

Gohan shifted his gaze away from the stage to see his father's excited face.

"You excited Goku?"

"Yeah ever since I got here I've been eager to fight mister Chun, I know he says he's a lot weaker than Master Roshi but that kamehameha says otherwise. I think he's been holding back and I'm excited to see just how I measure up" His glance shifted towards the Main Hall " But before then I think we should check on Krillin."

Gohan was surprised at the complexity of his answer. Up until that point, he'd heard compassion and care from his twelve-year-old father but never any kind of critical analysis. He felt confident in his belief that his father really was a genius, it just had to be in something he loved like fighting or eating.

Goku laid Gohan back down to stand up and stretch, then carefully picked him back up and carried him inside where Roshi had brought Krillin. As he entered the temple Yamcha was already in there questioning 'Jackie Chun'.

"So" he motioned his fingers " 'Jackie Chun'. How do you explain the kamehameha wave you just pulled off back there. I've only seen two people pull that move off, Master Roshi and Goku and you definitely don't look like a kid with a tail."

"This again? Don't you get it I'm not Master Roshi! I'm Jackie Chun. Look I've got hair see" He tugged with as little effort as possible hoping that the glue holding his hair in place wouldn't give.

"So what? I bet you are Master Roshi and have had hair the whole time, you were just covering it up with a bald cap."

Roshi screamed, "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

Goku ignored the rest of the conversation as he laid Gohan onto a couch next to Krillin's

Goku caringly asked, "You comfy?"

"Yeah, thanks a lot Goku. I'm sorry you've had to carry me around so much, it's just really hard to move without my head hurting."

"Well, it is my fault your head hurts to begin with... Oh! Hey, I've got an idea." He reached around his waist and untied the pouch that had been sitting there since Gohans fight with Nam. "It's the stuff you gave me that helps when your hurt. I didn't open it because I was worried if I did it would all spill out. The amount of times I did that with the fish bag when I went on trips with grampa taught me I'm no good with them." He carefully placed the pouch in Gohan's left hand "Hey Jack if this stuff works you will come watch my match with mister Chun right?"

Gohan responded "Of course I will. You don't think I'd rather be here on this old couch do ya?"

Goku smiled as he tried to be witty "Well, they are really nice". Their conversation was interrupted by the stirrings of their bald mutual friend.

"Man, my neck is stiff." Krillin turned his head towards the two hearing many small crunches as he did so. "Oh hey Goku, thanks for the advice by the way 'just beat him', really helpful."

Goku turned to look at Krillin, he chuckled "Yeah I guess I didn't know what to say."

The screech made an unwelcome return causing everyone to cup their ears.

**The final match is set to begin in five minutes, would Goku and Jackie Chun please make their way to the stage.**

"Ok guys I guess I better go. Hope you two feel better. Wish me luck!" He walked over to Roshi and Yamcha who were verbally running in circles. He could feel his adrenaline begin pumping as the fight drew nearer "Mister Chun the announcer said that we should head onto the stage". Goku could tell he wasn't listening, he listened as 'Chun' and Yamcha screamed at each other

"My kamehameha is far different than Roshi's it requires an aerobic warmup and its far more elegant, although not as powerful."

"Then how did you learn it? It doesn't make any sense how you would know such a technique unless you trained with or are Master Roshi."

Goku raised his voice to try and get there attention "MISTER CHUN WE HAVE TO GO! THE MATCH STARTS SOON!"

The old man turned from his conversation, thankful to have Goku as an escape "Oh yes of course." He nodded with a sly smirk "Yamcha." The two walked slowly out of the temple.

"You've made it quite far for being just a twelve-year-old boy but, I beat your friend quite easily and you said he had the same training as you right?"

"Right."

"So what make's you so confident walking into this fight"

"I think Krillin may have not been feeling well because he couldn't see your punches. I mean they were fast but I could still see them just fine."

Roshi sweat a little knowing that ever since he met Goku he always managed to defy expectations, he knew the boy had no concept of bluffing so he took every word at its face value.

"Well then, this match will be a test of both our skills. Let's see how much you have really learned."

The two walked out in front of the roaring crowd, the sun had begun to set and the hot day began to cool. The tired fans seemed to rejuvenate in both the colder temperature and the golden glow that occurs near a day's end. Bulma, Puar and Oolong cheered for their strange, messy-haired friend who walked to his corner.

Gohan could feel the excitement in the air and heard the cheers and the hollers of the crowd. Krillin had already waddled his way out of the building over to Yamcha by the crumbled wall that now served as a front-row seat to the fight. Since he was alone he quickly popped half a senzu in his mouth, which was more than enough to kill any headache, and walked out to sit down with Krillin and Yamcha. He could see Goku's look of complete focus, the same look he wore whenever anything was serious. He saw it as his father laid beaten and bloody screaming for him to run as Raditz approached him. He saw it as his father snapped Nappa's spine after he charged at him and Krillin. He saw it as his father nodded for Piccolo, Krillin and himself to leave as he charged at Frieza. He even saw it in his father's final moments, as he cleared his mind to focus on the instant transmission. Seeing it now was otherworldly, his father had always told him stories of his fight with the 'great Jackie Chun' but he hadn't realized just what this fight meant. This fight solidified his father's need to train hard and his love of bettering himself. This fight was where his father learned that there is always someone stronger than you.

_Try your best dad. I want to see just how incredible you were before you became the most powerful warrior this world's ever seen._

He looked in as the announcer stepped onto the edge of the stage, keeping the microphone close with his left, he raised his right arm and swiftly dropped it in a chopping motion

"Gentlemen! Let the match begin!"

Roshi quickly ran across the stage closing the large gap between the two. Goku quickly leaped at least fifty feet into the air quickly followed by Chun who jumped at an angle in an attempt to intersect Goku. As he was falling he heard the whistle of the wind as Chun swiftly kicked his back, the pain wasn't too bad but he noticed he was being kicked far out of the arena bounds.

Master Roshi was already back on the ground and stood confident in his victory "Foolish boy if I've told him once I've told him a thousand times, never let your guard down. If he'd just remembered that he might not have lost so quickly."

The announcer seemed to believe the fight was over as well "It would seem Jackie Chun has done it again". Just as he said that the crowd grew silent as they could see a little boy flying closer and closer to the arena. "Hold on folks, someone is... floating in the air!" he lowered his voice "quick somebody get the binoculars." He raised them to his face and couldn't believe what he saw. "This...this is amazing! Goku is flying above the stage by the use of his tail! He's spinning it around like a helicopter! Is there no end to this youngster's resourcefulness!"

Gohan looked in amazedly along with Krillin and Yamcha

_I didn't know our tails could do that!_

He landed gently in front of his jaw dropped master "Hello again!"

Roshi stuttered "Wha-why-You were out! That tail's all that saved you!"

"Not really I could have flown back using a kamehameha wave like you did but I thought I'd save that for later. Doing one of those always makes me tired...and hungry."

He cleared his throat "You arrogant boy. Would you be so sure of your kamehameha wave that you would try one against me? The man who invented them."

"But you didn't, Master Roshi did."

Roshi nearly collapsed then and there "Oh of course, how silly of me. I just admire the man a lot." He stood straight and grew eerily serious "Now, you wager you can handle a real kamehameha."

"I betcha' I can, except for the wager part I don't know what that means."

They both charged their kamehamehas simultaneously

Roshi released first "HA!"

Goku responded just as fast "HA!"

The resulting blast was so bright it blinded even the announcer who always wore his shades during the tournament.

They both were thrown back an equal distance from each other but Roshi seemed significantly more tired than Goku

"Why I never..."

Goku laughed and gave a cheeky grin over to Chun "See I told you I could do it."

The announcer interrupted "Ladies and gentlemen take note of this day. You have seen two legendary masters of the kamehameha wave technique, one that I believed only Master Roshi could perform, in the same arena!"

Roshi gathered his nerve

_Goku is truly amazing but no matter this move will be sure to end this fight._

Master Roshi disappeared leaving an afterimage in his wake punching Goku into the nearby arena wall crumbling it and encasing Goku in concrete. The arena died down for just a moment until they saw the rubble lift as Goku stood back up. Master Roshi was in awe

"How do you do it!?"

Goku was powdered from head to toe in brick dust but seemed extremely energetic despite just being thrown into a wall "Alright now it's my turn!"

Goku then disappeared using an afterimage as well, except he used two; one in front, and one to the left of his elderly opponent. It was enough to trick the old man into punching the second image allowing Goku to slam his fist onto the top of his head. Roshi did fall but quickly got back up now brandishing a new bump on his head.

Goku stood in his traditional fighting form, prepared for what he assumed to be another brawling match except he saw Chun begin to stagger all around him. The old man seemed to dance across the stage disorientedly, letting out burps and motioning that he was drinking a beer with his thumb and pinky extended as he poured the imaginary drink into his mouth.

"Mister Chun are you ok?" He thought back to how injured Gohan had been after he hit him. He actually reached to touch Jackies arm until he felt a punch break his worry.

"Ow! Whad'ya do that for!"

He saw as the old man continued to stumble around with rose-colored cheeks, punching him. Unsure of how to counter Goku continued to take hits.

Yamcha cupped his mouth and yelled "Goku! He's pretending he's tipsy. He's using the drunken boxer technique" His warning fell on deaf ears as Goku didn't know what tipsy or drunk meant. After the continuous beatings, Goku ran to the edge of the stage. Gohan looked as his father seemed to tremble a little bit, it actually almost looked like he was crying. This disturbed him because his energy felt joyful, he felt relieved as his father crouched down and made noises like a monkey, running up and down the stage on all fours seeming to easily counter any move Roshi made against him.

_Phew, I knew you weren't crying dad, you always have a plan._

"Crazy monkey technique!" He screamed as he used his tail to trip the old man who was not amused by his new strategy.

Roshi drew back as Goku stood in front of him, they had both dropped the charade. Roshi began to move his hands in a circular motion, seemingly coaxing the boy into relaxing from his fighting pose

"You feel sleepy, so sleepy. You are the most tired you have ever been, so, SLEEP!"

Goku collapsed causing the crowd to gasp at what appeared to be some sort of hypnotism.

_Finally, this match is over, thank goodness, he actually had me worried there for a minute. You certainly were the toughest challenge I've had in a long time Goku but now it's over, rest easy._

He yelled over to the young man holding the microphone "I believe you should start counting."

Gohan looked over convinced this wasn't the end of the fight. There was no way his father could be beaten by something as simple as hypnosis. The way his father always told the story was that their battle ended in one final charge and that Chun had beaten him in it. He cleared his mind hoping to think of something that would break this spell.

"Goku! Your dinners ready!"

Gohan looked over at Bulma in the stands and back to Goku who seemingly rose from the dead. Leave it to her to be the smartest person in the room, coming up with the best ideas in the direst of situations.

"Dinner? Where?"

Bulma cheered him on "Goku! Beat that old geezer up and we'll buy you the biggest dinner you've ever seen!"

Goku smiled and his tail wagged the fastest it ever has "Really!? Well, I guess I'll just have to make this quick. I'm super hungry."

Roshi stood silent deep in thought, he had used every technique he had to beat Goku except for one, it was cruel and extremely painful but he had no choice.

"I'm sorry Goku. You've lost this fight, please surrender now or else I will have to use the only technique I haven't. I've used it only once before and it was on your grandfather Gohan. I had met him while he was training with Master Roshi and he was so skilled he forced me to go to new lengths to beat him."

"Nah, that's okay. I want to see what kind of move you used on him and see if I can beat it."

Roshi shook his head as he clasped his hand together near his chest "Foolish boy, I warned you and you didn't listen, I'm sorry for what's to come." He gathered his energy until electricity circled his hands and rippled around his body. He released the attack lifting Goku into the sky continuously shocking him as he was trapped there.

Goku tried to break free, attempting to shake the invisible shackles loose that held him displaced above the ground

"Surrender! Now!" Roshi's plea was met by Goku sticking his tongue out despite being in immense pain.

Bulma couldn't bear to watch the little boy she went on the greatest adventure of her life with scream in pain "Goku, please! Give up!"

Goku, through the pain and shock, managed out "Nuh-uh!"

Gohan could hear his father's shrieks of pain from the sidelines, he could never forget the sound. They sounded higher pitched and much younger but still strikingly similar to how his adult father screamed. Krillin was concerned but he saw the sheer dread on Gohan's face as the tears made their way down it, he could tell Gohan was reaching a breaking point.

"JACKIE! STOP IT! PLEASE!" Gohan sobbed, tightly gripping the bricks beneath his hands which crumbled to dust before his strength. He watched helplessly from the sidelines just as he did anytime he went to sleep, watching Cell break his father as Roshi was doing now.

Suddenly he felt something change, he felt his father's ki shift from resilient to angry. He looked up in the sky noticing that as the sun was setting the full moon was rising, he felt more anxious about the events that were soon to follow.

Goku couldn't see anything, everything went dark. All he could clearly feel was his heartbeat rapidly. He felt the pain in every pump of blood, every ounce of adrenaline seemed like venom coursing through his veins. He felt himself grow restless yet incredibly tired, more so than ever before. He decided not to resist and gave into sleeps tempting proposal.

Everyone watched as the little boy they saw just moments earlier, break free from Chuns attack, now five stories tall and covered with fur.

Roshi was surprised, he never thought the stories his student told him about the child he found were true.

_Well, Gohan, it looks like you were right about one thing, Your boy is extraordinary and certainly is out of this world. Looks like I'll have to do something drastic._

As Goku tore the roof off of the Main Hall Roshi tore off his shirt and gained massive amounts of muscle from thin air. He prepared the most powerful attack he could.

Yamcha looked horrified, he began to run out onto the field.

"Wait! You don't have to kill him!"

He was already too late. Roshi had already fired the largest kamehameha anyone had seen up until that point. Gohan sat on the sidelines not particularly worried because he sensed that Roshi wasn't aiming for his father, he was aiming for the moon.

When the dust settled and visions cleared after the blinding blast, everyone looked to see where the little boy Goku was. The crowd, although absolutely terrified of the giant beast, sat in their seats throughout the entire engagement because they assumed it was a part of the show. They looked around to where they had last seen the giant monkey only to see a pile of rubble sitting on the inner bounds of the stage. Yamcha was quickly removed from the field because the staff were still treating this as an actual tournament, he screamed over at Chun

"You bastard! You dumb, stupid bastard! You killed him didn't you?!"

Krillin grabbed onto Gohan still looking over at the stage "You don't think he-he's...".

"No Krillin, look" He pointed up into the sky at where the moon should have been "see?"

Krillin's mind cleared and hope returned "You mean?"

The whole arena erupted as they saw Goku lift himself up from the rubble

"Oh man...What did I miss guys? Did I lose? I got really tired again."

Roshi looked frustratedly at his now nude student "No Goku you didn't lose but please get some clothes on!"

Goku looked down surprised that his gi was missing "Huh, my clothes must have ran away while I was sleeping. How strange."

Krillin smacked his own forehead "I swear I have to do everything myself" He changed quickly back into his monk uniform which he carried for after the tournament and brought his gi over to Goku, luckily they wore a similar size.

"Thanks Krillin!"

The announcer stood by as Goku got himself in order, he walked up on stage concerned that a little boy just got up from being smashed under at least fifty tons of rubble

"Uh kid, you sure you want to continue considering what just happened."

Goku looked confusedly up at the man "Yeah sure. Why not?"

The man shifted his glasses "Oh no reason." He cleared himself from the arena "Well folks I guess the tournament continues. Let the match resume!"

They both were tired, Roshi had exhausted all of his energy in that kamehameha wave and Goku used up all of his energy transforming into the Oozaru. It was a brawl, each hit more brutal than the last Goku swung with all of his might at Roshi's stomach unable to gather the energy to try and jump to hit his head. Roshi kicked Goku's sides continuously causing massive bruises to form on the boy's sides. Eventually, they stopped and slowly backed away from each other. Knowing that neither of them had any energy left Roshi spoke up

"How about one final charge Goku?"

Goku's response sounded full of vigor but the boys exhausted breathing said otherwise "Fine!"

The two ran at each other and both went for a kick. Both landed with incredible force but Goku's didn't reach as deep as Roshi's did due to his short stature. They both laid flat on the pavement prompting a response from the announcer

"This is unprecedented! According to the rules whoever can stand up first is the winner!"

He began his count, Goku quickly gained consciousness and began to stand up, he tried with every remaining ounce of strength he had to stand eventually making his way to his feet. He started his proclamation

"I am th...the champ-" Goku stopped short as he fell back to the floor. Roshi looked relieved, he started his climb back up to his feet managing it by pushing up off of one knee. He stood up feeling his back crack as he straightened it.

"I'm the World Champion!" He switched between many different poses repeating the phrase "I did it! I am the World Champion"

He stopped his posing as Goku sat up, pushing himself off the concrete using his arms.

"Did...Did I do it mister Jackie? Did I win?"

"No son you didn't." There was a moment of silence while Goku took in his loss.

"Aw darn, I really tried" He sighed and looked off into the distance as the sun's light finally disappeared from the stage.

The announcer lifted the old man's bruised arm into the air "Let's hear it for our World Champion and the winner of the five hundred thousand zeni grand prize!" The cheers of the crowd made the win a little easier on the conscience of the master who still felt rather regretful using that cruel technique on a little boy. His thoughts were disrupted by Goku who seemed much happier than just a moment ago.

"You are really strong Mister Chun. I'm going to train every day until I get as strong as you. Then will you fight me again?"

Roshi sweat a little "Oh, uh, yes of course!"

The small boy grabbed his hand and shook it violently, so much so Roshi thought it would pop out of its socket.

Goku eventually released and happily ran off stage towards Gohan and the others.

"Yay!".

* * *

The tournament came to a close and Goku, Yamcha, Krillin, and Gohan finally met up with Bulma, Puar and Oolong. Bulma looked at Gohan surprised at how eerily similar he looked to Goku.

"Goku who's this? I've never met him before. Is he your brother or something? You better not have left him at home all alone while we went searching for the dragon balls!"

"No he's my friend Jack but everybody keeps saying we look alike."

Bulma smiled and extended her hand "It's very nice to meet you." Gohan felt everyone in the group stare as they waited for him to shake her hand. His cheeks grew red as he reluctantly did so.

"It's nice to meet you too Bulma."

"Leave it to you Goku to always find the weirdest and most handsome friends." She looked over at Yamcha who laughed as she grabbed him. Her reunion with her wounded warrior was interrupted by Goku's rumbling stomach which was louder than most of her motorcycles.

"Guys I've gotta eat something soon or I think I might die! Can we please go find some food, please?"

To everyone's surprise, Roshi appeared from the tournament grounds entrance "Well, of course we can Goku, you all fought well today and deserve a hot meal."

Yamcha raised one of his eyebrows and accusingly asked "And just where have you been all this time Master Roshi?"

The old man's response was as simple as he could make it "Well after buying you some of these lovely mugs from the gift shop I was mainly stuck in line for the bathroom. I did get to see Goku face off against that Jackie Chan, his kamehameha wasn't too good but Gokus was fantastic. Amazing effort you little monkey."

"Thanks Master Roshi but his name was Jackie Chun."

"Meh, whatever. All I really care about is getting some food, most of that tournament stuff really upset my insides. Blugh"

They all walked to one of the most renowned buffets in town. Master Roshi wasn't worried about costs because he knew all he would buy with the winnings were more cassette tapes of aerobics classes which were dirt cheap.

They were brought in by a friendly waiter to the largest table in the house. Goku eagerly set next to Gohan which he could see felt much better than earlier

He smiled as he watched Gohan put his napkin on his lap"How's your head feeling Jack?"

Gohan smiled back "Feels great Goku." He lifted the side of Goku's shirt to see the deep dark blue bruises that had appeared "How are your sides?"

"I'll be fine. Much better after we get our food."

After the initial first course, the restaurant had to ramp up production as they noticed Roshi's table needed plenty more. Different dishes of many nationalities greeted the hungry customers. Spaghetti, burgers, ramen, rice, fish, crab legs, tons of different sandwiches, steaks, pork, at one point they even brought out a massive cooked squid.

Bulma had stopped after her second plate, she kept count of Gokus and Gohans; noticing the purple clothed stranger stop after thirty-nine. She heard an audible sigh of content from Goku.

"I sure was hungry!"

Even Gohan was surprised at how high the stack of plates was, it towered over everyone making him worry a little bit as he saw it wobble.

"He just ate fifty-seven full course meals, Jack had trouble putting away forty."

Yamcha turned to Bulma "Really? I lost count way before forty."

Roshi who was deeply worried about his purse at this point tried to stop the boy as he saw him motion for the waiter "Goku I think you have had enough for one day."

"Yeah, I guess I should save room for dessert huh?"


	13. Chapter 13: A Thirsty Desert

Gohan's nightmares were particularly bad that evening after going back to the hotel. The screams from when Roshi held Goku in suspension, electrocuting him continuously, were dreadfully haunting, especially because he rarely ever saw his father in pain or at least his father rarely let him see when he was in pain. He woke up in a cold sweat, looking over to his right just for assurance that it was only a nightmare. Seeing his father's relaxed face, carrying a slight smile as he slept, calmed him down. It made him realize just how bewildering it was that he was with him again. He felt like he almost didn't deserve it, the opportunity to spend time with him after what he did, after how he failed him. His introspection was cut short as the morning alarm rung waking his two roommates from their slumber.

Goku carefully sat up making sure not to put any pressure on his bruised ribs. He rubbed his eyes and greeted the two "Good mornin' Jack. Good mornin' Krillin"

Gohan responded with a warm "Morning Goku."

Krillin was still under his covers and mumbled out "G- morn'"

The sun glistened over the city as the morning routine dragged people from their beds and onto the streets. Cafe's and restaurants flooded with people as everyone tried to get something in their stomachs before going to work. The whole gang met up just outside the tournament grounds, Yamcha was the first to greet them

"Hey, guys! So you ready for another round of training at Jackie Chun's place! Or should I say Master Roshi's?"

Roshi wasn't upset by his heckling and decided to play it cool "Now just hold on a minute, I think you boys have earned yourself a break from training. I think what you need is a little experience from the greatest teacher of all: life."

Yamcha was visibly irritated because he knew the turtle hermit said that just to spite him. Goku, on the other hand, looked more than excited.

"Great! Then I'll go find my grampa's four-star ball." He paused to take in a deep breath. "NIMBUS!" The cloud swooped in from the sky above and he patted it. "Hold on just a second Nimbus. " He turned to his elderly friend. "Master does that blue box have my stuff in it?"

Roshi looked to his feet, the only blue box there was his suitcase "Yes Goku it does, however, it's no ordinary box, this is a suitcase."

Goku opened it and sifted through the magazines to grab his power pole and dragon radar. "A suitcase? Wow, I'll never get used to all this great stuff in the city!"

Bulma intruded, "Woah what's the rush? There's plenty of time to go looking for it why start now?"

Roshi also felt the need to intervene, he did not want to go back to his home just to begin another phase of training. He needed time to delve into his 'personal studies' of aerobics. "Oh don't discourage the boy look at how excited he is, but Goku, don't you think it would be a good idea to take someone with you? Say...Krillin?"

Krillin caught onto his master's scheme quickly and there was no way he would let Roshi get rid of him that easily. "Well master, I was actually looking forward to coming back to your island to start training for the next tournament. I don't want my legacy to be 'beaten up by an old guy at his first tournament'."

The 'old guy' grunted "Okay, fine Krillin. When we get back I'll start your training again, but don't be surprised if I am not training you as hard as I did the first time. I have been missing out on my workout videos."

Gohan stood awkwardly as everyone worked out where they were going. Bulma Puar, Oolong, and Yamcha decided they were going back to West City and promptly left in a little red car they had parked nearby. Master Roshi, Krillin, and Launch also said their goodbyes and headed off into the city for some end-of-trip shopping, leaving Goku and Gohan alone.

"So Jack, are you gonna' head home? I'm sure your mom misses you."

Gohan looked at the floor "No Goku, she's used to me taking long trips out" He rubbed his arm as Dr. Gero's image returned to focus in his mind. "But I really should be going, I have something I need to take care of."

An idea popped into Goku's head. "Do you think it can wait? I really like having you around Jack, you are one of the nicest people I've met since Bulma found me at my Grampa's house. Do you wanna come on an adventure with me?" He extended his right hand to help lift Gohan onto the cloud. "I just want to go find grampa's dragon ball, but it could take a while" He held the radar with his left. "I don't think the radar says which ball is which."

The offer was far too tempting, he knew he needed to track down Dr. Gero and destroy whatever lab he was hiding in but spending more time with his father was something he couldn't refuse.

He smiled ear to ear and grabbed his hand. "Yeah Goku I'll go with you."

Goku pulled him up and clapped as he saw that Gohan didn't fall through the ever so picky cloud "Yeah! I knew you could ride it."

Flying had been a breeze since he was five but usually, whenever he was flying, it was towards some great danger or to get somewhere important really quickly. This time, however, riding on the nimbus with his father was just for fun. It had been years since he'd ridden on the cloud, he had forgotten just how soft it was and was pleasantly surprised that it didn't move as slow as he thought it might. The entire experience felt like a dream come true; he sat side by side with his father taking in the beauty of the ocean as they flew above it, the many sea creatures that jumped from the water, greeting them as they passed by, was wonderous. Goku was pleased as he checked the dragon radar, seeing that they were heading in the right direction.

They covered the massive breadth of the ocean rather quickly and came upon a dry, empty desert. The temperature increased as they flew deeper into the land yet the wind kept them cool as the passed over countless dunes. Eventually the peace was broken when Goku spotted a pterodactyl carrying a man in the far distance.

"Jack do you see that? That big mean bird is carrying someone. We've gotta help him!"

Gohan blocked the sun with his hand as he looked at the giant blue-winged dinosaur carry someone "Your right, it definitely has somebody." He bumped his shoulder playfully with a closed fist. "Let's get em'!"

Goku stood up and pointed towards the beast "Go faster nimbus we've gotta' catch that bird!"

The distance between them shrunk and it was now visible that the pterodactyl was carrying Nam from the tournament.

He exclaimed surprisedly, "Goku? Jack? Where did you two come from?"

Goku hadn't heard the question he already drew his power pole and was preparing to smack his friend's captor.

"You're a mean old bird and I won't let you hurt him! Power pole extend!" And he slammed the pole down onto the creatures back, causing it to squeal in pain and drop Nam. Gohan nearly flew over to catch the man but he stopped himself, having faith his father would have time to do so.

Goku quickly moved the cloud beneath Nam, giving him a soft and comfortable landing that otherwise would have been much sandier.

Gohan, curious as to why Nam was out here, looked beneath them to find that they had been following the dragon radar up a dried river. He shifted himself to face Nam as he posed a question.

"Were you following the riverbed?"

Nam rubbed his bicep where the large claws of the pterodactyl had nearly dug into. "Why yes I was. Jackie Chun gave me a capsule full of water back at the tournament after I had lost, but it will not sustain us for long. My village has put their faith in me one final time in the hopes that I will find the legendary wandering lake; however, I believe it just a fairy tale. The real reason I follow the riverbed is because in the past the river had always been strong, flowing with crystal clear water that gave life to all around it. But then mysteriously, a few years ago it stopped. I believe either someone stopped its flow or the gods have doomed us with this drought that will last an eternity."

Eager to help, Goku said, "We'll help you look for it. You said it's just up this old river right?"

He nodded thankfully, "Yes, just up ahead however it could take some time to get there. This river stretches for miles"

The three followed the winding path of cracked and dried clay until the landscape gradually changed from a deep golden yellow to a sea of green. In the distance a giant dam made of some strange sticky pink material was visible.

The Indian man straightened his robe and triumphantly exclaimed, "Aha! I knew it, someone has stopped the flow of water. Please, let us get in for a closer look."

Goku agreed and guided the group over the top of the dam where they all looked in disbelief as they saw an entire colony of dragons bathing in their artificially created spring. The water steamed as they heated it with their own firey breath.

Goku saw a division near the edge of the dam where only a few much older dragons huddled around one large one.

"Guys look, it's Giren from the tournament! I know he wasn't very nice then but maybe if we ask him he'll let us take the dam down."

He directed the nimbus towards the dragon who relaxed in the water alongside his closest advisors. They all hopped off with Goku leading in front

"Hey Giren what's up?"

The older dragons instinctively leaped from the water forming a wall around Giren.

"Little boy leave before you get hurt, no one gets to see the boss."

They all turned as they heard their leaders distinctively cruel laugh, one that caused chills to run down their spines.

"Don't worry my friends, there's no need for alarm. This is that boy I was telling you about. His name is Goku and you will show him some respect."

They all stood straight and set their hands at their sides "Yes boss! Sorry boss!"

He raised himself out of the water and slowly walked over to his former adversary "Now what brings you and your friends all the way to my neighborhood? If you're looking for a rematch now is not the time, I am far too involved in enjoying my summer."

Goku shook his head "No but thanks for the offer. I just came by to ask you to take down this dam please, my friend Nam can't get water for his village if it stays up."

The giant beast rubbed his chin with his claw "Straight to the point and full of vigor, you have some admiral qualities my little amigo. You see I would love to take down this dam but was made long ago by my great great grandfather. It is constructed of his ancient merry-go-round gum and is quite unbreakable.

Nam fell to his knees as he slammed his fist into the ground "Then I have failed my entire village. It is hopeless." Gohan put his hand on his shoulder as an attempt to comfort the defeated man that kneeled before him. He happily heard what only he had come to expect from his father

"I can break the dam, after all, I did break some of that meric-o gum at the tournament."

Nam broke from his distress. "You really think you can do it Goku? You heard him yourself, it must be at least a hundred years old, hardened by many winters."

Goku untied his power pole from his back and handed it to Nam. "I can try a kamehameha, but it would be nice to have some help. Jack, do you think you can do it?"

His question bothered Gohan, he had trouble suppressing his power level this much and doing a kamehameha as small as Goku's seemed impossible. "M-me? You saw just how easy you beat me at the tournament what makes you think I can do it."

"Because, you're so much stronger than you think you are."

If there were any words he could have said to convince Gohan, those were it. The number of times he had heard that phrase throughout his life was beyond count. He actually heard it so often from everyone around him he began to hate it, but it always really meant something to him when his father said it. Gohan knew he always told him the truth. "Alright. Let's do it."

They hopped back onto the nimbus which waited patiently for the end of the conversation and flew down to the bottom of the dam. Giren and Nam watched as Goku steadied himself on the only stone that protruded from the empty riverbed below.

"So you stand like this." He stood sideways with one foot far in front of the other and drew back his hands cupping them, his technique and skill honed with every opportunity he had to use his favorite attack. "Try your best to focus on your hands, it's the only way I've been able to do it. Try and block everything else out and think of only your hands and your goal. You can do it, I believe in you." Gohan thought back to the time chamber where his father gave him almost the same advice as he did now. He stood in an identical stance and squared his shoulders focusing on the tiniest kamehameha he could make.

Goku was impressed at Gohan's perfect form. "Good, now let's take down this dam together!"

They both spoke at the same time "KAME-HAME-HA!"

The waves mixed and flew with blinding speed. They collided with the dam smashing a massive hole into it. The water came spilling out and the pressure caused the rest of it to shoot out shortly after. Goku quickly grabbed Gohan and threw him on the nimbus before jumping on himself "See that was amazing! I told you, you could do it. Now let's get outta' here" He patted the cloud quickly and said, "Go, nimbus go!"

Girens eyes were bulging out of his skull, he turned to Nam "I'm happy I gave up when I did at the tournament. I don't want to mess with that kid, little monster would probably cook me with one of those blasts."

Nam took one hand of each boy as they sat on the cloud "Thank you so much! My village is saved. Please, would you two join me in coming back to my home? My elders would love to meet you."

Goku looked over at Gohan who nodded in agreement "Sure we'll go" Goku extended his hand to Nam and lifted him up onto the cloud.

"Bye Giren thanks a lot. I hope you enjoy your summer."

Giren waved happily as they flew away from him. Still in shock that the dam was now gone, he looked contemplatively as the dried river below filled and expanded. He was happy, he had always thought the dam looked ugly. It's almost industrial look contrasted with the only thing he found peaceful in life: mother nature.

* * *

The village was lush with laughter and happiness as the sun began to set on the refreshed desert. Each farmer took their fair share of the water and wetted their thirsty crops. The elders all gathered around the amazing boys showering them with praise.

"We are eternally grateful for your help today. Your contributions will not be soon forgotten; however, I am afraid we don't have any money to give you and for that I am truly sorry."

Goku smiled "That's ok all that money stuff smells funny and I don't know what it's for anyway." He walked over to Nam who was meditating by the renewed riverside. "Hey, I'm sorry but Jack and I have to go. We're looking for the dragon balls and it's getting kind of late. I also want to set up camp in somewhere grassy and get a little fishing in before the fish go to sleep."

Rising from his calming meditation he shook hands with Goku and Gohan as they said their final goodbyes. He watched silently as they rode back upriver facing the beautiful golden sunset, the moment was bittersweet as he made peace with not seeing them for the next three years. He knew without a doubt that there was no way those boys wouldn't be at the next tournament and the thought of another test of strength excited him.


	14. Chapter 14: Red Ribbon Reveal

Gero watched as the two settled into their oasis home after a long day of what he assumed to be travel. His drones lense focused as Goku helped set the massive fish he caught for Gohan over the fire.

_Helpless boy, can't even roast a fish without assistance._

"Would you come help me with this Dr. Hamilton? I know you said you had your own priorities but you have been watching the monitors for the last 52 hours. The Red Ribbon Army pays us to construct androids not..." The middle-aged Gero reversed the drill and released now threadless screw from the android he was constructing, he placed it to the side and shifted his chair to better see the screens "Not keep tabs on your personal enemies."

He sighed, being robotic meant your eyes couldn't tire and the only thing that ever was on his mind, aside from making progress on his mechanical monstrosities, was Goku and Gohan. He stood from his seat and felt the leaking roof of their cave laboratory drip water onto his new face he had constructed to hide his true identity.

"You speak of matters you do not understand. I am observing for weaknesses and am running muscle endurance tests to see just how durable the one in purple is. As I have told you previously they have been a constant threat to my work for years."

He placed the drill down, puzzled "Really? I see...and how did you manage to get their muscle samples? Do your little drones have sampling kits?"

The doctor nodded and smirked with a sense of condescending superiority over his naive past self. he had lied through his teeth, he never constructed any drones with tissue collection kits and already had plenty of samples from Gohan and his father during the fight with Cell. He just enjoyed observing them for reasons even he himself couldn't understand.

* * *

"What's the matter? Not hungry?"

Gohan stared at his fish, he was starving, they hadn't eaten anything all day and he didn't think it was appropriate to ask the villagers for food because they looked like they were struggling enough. No need to fill two enormous appetites when your tomatoes are shriveling in the heat of the desert.

"No it's not that, it's just we're so close to the dragon ball. It's only a couple of miles away we should go get it now rather than wait until morning."

Goku finished swallowing the chunk he tore from his fish "It'll still be there in the morning. Bulma is the only one who knows how to make dragon radars remember? No one else has a way to find them."

"I know but what if someone already has it? What if it's not moving right now because someone found it and is camping like we are?"

Goku could hear the strain in Gohan's voice prompting him to try and calm the situation. He picked up his fish and scooted closer, he rubbed his back with his free hand as he spoke"Hey it's ok there's no reason to get so worried. Were out in the desert I doubt there's anyone out here at night. Heck, we'd be frozen if we weren't by the fire."

Gohan blushed, he knew he was smarter than this, of course no one was stupid enough to roam the desert at night looking for a magical orb about the size of a large softball.

"Sorry, I get worried easily. I guess I've always been like that."

Goku waved his hand dismissively "That's alright, as long as you eat your dinner I'm happy."

Gohan picked up his spit and dug into the fish, it was tender, warm and wonderfully flavored. There weren't many things his father was good at cooking, but fish was the one exception. His mind wandered back to the promise made in their favorite spring just after his father calmed his worries over Cell.

Flashback

"Do you trust me?" Goku stared, worried about the answer that would come from his anxious son.

"I trust you Daddy." He pushed his head into his father's shirt trying to hide his still seeping tears

He smiled "Good. Then after we go and kick Cell's sorry butt, we'll go on the best fishing trip you've ever been on."

Gohan gasped, excited at the idea, and looked up "Really? That sounds so great. I haven't had your fish in forever!"

Goku wiped the tears away from his son's cheeks "Yeah! And I'll teach you grampa's secret recipe. I know I burn basically everything in the kitchen but thankfully Grampa always called for an outdoor fire to make it right."

* * *

He smiled sincerely said, "It's great Goku."

Gohan figured he'd let the mystery of how his father managed to make the fish so delicious continue. After all, it didn't seem right to ask his father how he did it now. Maybe one day when he saw his real father again he'd teach him.

They finished their fish and headed off to bed, the heat of the desert during the day had drained them both far more than they knew. Luckily enough, Gohan slept rather peacefully that night, his dreams were muddy and distorted making them far easier to treck through.

The morning heat woke both of them up early. The shade of the few palm trees above them kept them cooler than if they were out in the sun but heat is still heat. Goku drank straight from the lake, he had never been sick a day in his life and his stomach was used to the unclean water. Gohan, on the other hand, made a makeshift purifier. Using his shirt as a vessel he gathered gravel from the lake and copious amounts of sand from the dunes surrounding them and had his fill of water that way. After he had finished he walked up to Goku who was already on the nimbus looking at the dragon radar.

"Alright, Goku let's go get those dragon balls!"

Goku put the device back in its pouch and stood towards the edge of the cloud extending a hand to help Gohan up "You sure you're ready to go Jack? You did drink a lot, I don't want the nimbus to get you sick."

Gohan took his hand "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

He lifted him up and sat next to him as the nimbus took to the sky. They only had to fly a couple of minutes until they came upon an old dusty town that seemed to be ripped straight out of the old west. Goku guided them to the edge of the town where they stepped off the cloud. They walked through the eerily empty streets at a brisk pace, eager to find the ball. Goku held the radar close to his face and walked until the indicator was practically on top of the white dot.

"You sure this is it Goku?"

His father tapped the button on the top of the radar that turned off the device and looked at the store's sign which just read 'antique shop'. He looked above the sign to see a single fat bird resting in his makeshift nest.

"Yep, this is it."

Gohan barely got to the front door before a blue midget carrying the four-star ball barged out of it. He was followed by two henchmen, a small brown dog in a ninja outfit and a tall woman with dark flowing hair. Gohan was confused they as looked into each other's faces, the midget seemed to be terrified of him. He felt himself get separated from him as his father stepped between the two wielding his power pole.

"Stay back! This guy's really mean he tried to steal Bulma's wish!"

Pilaf's terror multiplied just as his foe seemed to do right before his very eyes "Goku!? There are two of you? L-l-look I'm sorry just take it" He cowered as he stuck the ball out in front of him hopeful that his offer would appease Goku.

"Wow, Grampa's ball! I can't believe it was this easy to find." He extended his hands out to grab his lost treasure but before he could he saw it shatter before him as a bullet blew it to pieces.

"Stupid kids, the ball was obviously fake."

They all turned to see a man in a purple jacket with a red scarf tied around his neck. He whistled which caused several groups of infantrymen to reveal themselves from the surrounding buildings. The loud marching as they lined up behind their colonel caused the bird to lift himself unnoticed into the air with the six star ball in it's clutches away from the incoming conflict.

"Colonel Silver of the Red Ribbon Army and you" he cocked back his pistol as he aimed it at Pilaf "are in my way." He fired but Goku shielded Pilaf just before the impact. It hurt like hell but luckily hit his back causing only a small red mark to form.

"Ow!"

The colonel was beside himself, did he just witness a bullet bounce off a child like it was nothing?

"What the-" He was punched in the gut before he had time to finish his sentence.

Goku pleaded "Pilaf get you and your friends out of here!"

The little emperor quickly responded "Yes, yes of course" and ran off into the desert revealing a massive circular aircraft that picked them up and disappeared into the clouds above.

The men stood ready behind the colonel that held his stomach as he tried to push himself up using a nearby barrel "What are you doing you idiots? Shoot them!"

The men cocked their rifles and open fired on them, none of their shots hit as the boys seemed to dance around the fire rate of the M16s. Goku took the opportunity to smack one soldier with his power pole as he reloaded and Gohan dashed forwards breaking a couple of ribs in each soldier he passed as he slammed his fist into their sides. Goku took note of his blinding speed, Gohan moved so swiftly even he couldn't see him.

_Incredible. I've never seen anyone move so fast before. I knew my attack at the tournament shouldn't have beat him so easily._

His attention was drawn quickly back into the battle as he heard one of the radio's on the soldiers activate

**Colonel Silver, this is High Command. The dragon ball in your vicinity is now moving North-East towards the last known location of the Ox-King. You must intercept that ball! General Red expects nothing but success. Do you copy?**

He looked as the colonel dragged himself to the radio

"I have forces in the area, I'll move them to intercept the ball at the Ox King's H.Q. Silver out."

Goku concentrated, he hadn't heard of the Ox-King in a long time and it took him a minute to remember the details. He pictured the large man and the scared girl that stood close to him, he felt some clarity remembering that girls name, Chi-Chi. He panicked as he yelled over at Gohan

"Jack we've gotta go!" He took in a deep breath "NIMBUS!"

Gohan dodged the continuous gunfire as he made his way back to his father who already stood on the cloud, ready to help him up. He felt himself be practically thrown onto the cloud as his father raced to get into the sky as fast as possible. As soon as they were airborne he could see that Goku was out of breath, panting as he checked the radar which to his surprise was blank.

"Goku what's wrong?"

Goku didn't hear the question he was far too focused on making it to the Ox King's before the Colonel's men did.

"Faster Nimbus!" The cloud responded to his command by quickening its pace.

Gohan stood up and touched his shoulder "Goku what's wrong? Do they have the dragon ball?"

He broke from his silence in a voice that sounded full of anxiety "No, no, the ball isn't even showing up on the radar. I'm just worried because those Red Ribbon guys are heading over to the Ox Kings. There's a friend of mine there, her name is Chi-Chi and I'm worried she and her father are in trouble."

Goku continued guiding them in the direction where he'd last seen the ball on the radar in hopes that he may have broken it during the fight. The land beneath them gradually changed from golden yellow to an earthy brown as they passed through the mountains. They flew through a thick layer of mist near the peak of one before gazing on the wide-open green plains of the Ox Kings land. The faint sound of gunfire could be heard as they approached his home.

Although they were over a couple of miles away Gohan could see what was unmistakably his unearthly massive eight-foot-tall grandfather charging into a line of tanks. His grandfather told him of his younger days when he was far stronger and seeing him now, even from this far of a distance, was beyond impressive. He watched as he lifted his axe above his head and slammed it down, bending the thick steel that formed the tanks main gun, then lifted it up from its frame and threw it another tank nearby.

Goku tugged on Gohan's gi "look!"

The colonel had found a way to beat them there. They were still quite a bit away from being able to help but they watched concerningly as the Ox-King was trapped in a net shot by a tank to the colonels right flank. Gohan didn't know whether it was an act of mercy or forgetfulness but the army seemed to roll by the giant they had just captured.

"Search the village, we need to find that dragon ball now!" Silver's stationary jeep began to shake as the massive aircraft he last saw Pilaf in appeared in front of him to pick up its mischevious master. Pilaf had found the ball inside of the Ox King's home where it had been extracted from an unfortunate pterodactyl who had an unfortunate bird for lunch.

"Nevermind, forget the village! Launch all aircraft and take down that ship!". Silver quickly opened the door and shrunk the jeep back into its capsule putting it back into its spot within its case. He selected his favorite vehicle, the Red Ribbon Special Forces Fighter Jet, and threw the capsule down in front of him embarking on the craft as soon as the smoke cleared. He radioed his men in a concerned but not overly worried voice "All right I want everyone to focus on that ship, do not let it escape. It carries a dragon ball and General Red will have us all served up on a platter if we don't get it." On his orders the Red Ribbon Army seemed to disappear just as quickly as they materialized, that's one of the reasons they became one of the world's leading criminal military forces, their mobilization was leagues ahead of any other competitor.

They landed beside the defeated king who struggled as he attempted to break the net. After realizing he couldn't break through it Goku and Gohan helped drag it off of him

"Thank you Goku. I think I would have been in a lot more trouble had you not been here."

Goku rubbed his head "But I just got here, I hardly helped at all."

The ox king's smile turned into a look of confusion "What do you mean? You were just at the wedding feast. Are you telling me you don't remember?"

Gohan remembered that little dog in a purple ninja suit being around his father's height "Mr. Ox-King was Goku wearing a purple like mine at the feast."

The giant stared at Goku's orange outfit and answered "Yes, he was. It was a trick wasn't it, someone fooled the old Ox-King."

Gohan laughed "Fraid' so."

The ox king took off his helmet to better see the boys noticing their striking resemblance "Hm, say what's your name again? I don't remember Goku having a brother."

Gohan stood straight and tall, trying to look presentable for his grandfather in his torn outfit after a day of dodging bullets "My name is Jack, I'm not Goku's brother just a friend who's tagging along on an adventure. It's very nice to meet you." He extended his hand.

The ox king's massive palm enveloped Gohans "Well you've got some good manners. Someone raised you right."

He thanked him as he thought to himself

_More than you could ever know._

The conversation was interrupted by a happy squeal as Chi-Chi ran up and wrapped herself around Goku.

"Oh Goku, you came to save me! I just knew you'd come back and now we can get married and spend every day together!"

Gokus ribs were still sore from the tournament and he could hardly breathe as she crushed his lungs "Chi-Chi you're squeezing me"

She let go of him and tried to contain her excitement. She was disappointed slightly as Goku took out the dragon radar. "You are here for the wedding right?"

Goku was ecstatic as the ball reappeared on the screen but remembered that it was in the same direction as the Red Ribbon Army went. "I'll have to try some of that later Chi-Chi." He turned to Gohan who stood silently averting his eyes from his mother "Jack we've gotta go, the dragon ball's back on the radar and that Silver guy is gonna get there before us!" He took in the deepest breath he could "FLYING NIMBUS!" and hopped on it helping Gohan up just as fast as he did at the town.

Chi-Chi yelled as they began to fly off "Goku wedding is not a food!" She sighed as neither seemed to hear her, she focused on the unknown traveler that stood on the cloud with her future husband. "Dad who was that with Goku?"

The Ox-King picked up his axe and placed it into its holster on his back "I don't know sweetie, he said he was Goku's friend and was on an adventure with him."

She kicked the dirt in front of her "Lucky."


	15. Chapter 15: Cruel Colonel Silver

As they raced through the sky towards the direction of the dragon ball they found themselves reentering the desert, the blazing midday heat drenched them with sweat despite the cooling wind that whirled around them on the nimbus cloud. Goku sat down and held the dragon radar close and saw they were nearing the dragon ball.

When they arrived they stayed high above and could see a few soldiers below walking around the dunes. Gohan peaked over the edge of the cloud and noticed that each soldier was poking the sand with their rifles blindly, hoping to get lucky and find the hidden orb.

"Goku, something doesn't seem right. You saw Pilaf get in his massive ship... and he has the dragon ball right? So why would it be out here in the desert?"

Goku shrugged as he rubbed his chin "I don't know. Why don't we get off nimbus and see if it really is somewhere in the sand."

Goku landed the cloud just a couple of feet from where the radar said the ball was, which luckily was far away from any Red Ribbon soldier. They walked closely both with their eyes glued to the radars screen. Suddenly the floor collapsed beneath them and they fell into a dark, damp stone room with the only noticeable feature being a television in one of the walls shielded by bulletproof glass. They heard the static as it turned on.

"Welcome my young friends."

Goku glared at Pilaf through the monitor "We're not your friends and Gimme' my grampa's dragon ball!"

Pilaf laughed as he pressed a small button to his left "I had a different present in mind for you"

Gohan looked unimpressed as a robot raised from the floor but patiently waited for his father to take charge on this one, no need for any unnecessary involvement. He was confused as his father began talking to it.

"I know you, your that monster who tried to take the dragon balls from us last time." He prepared himself as he brought back his hands "KAMEHAME-HA!".

The robot crumpled as it flew through the wall revealing a massive tunnel system for them to navigate through.

Gohan smiled, happy that his father had found a way out of that situation without help "Great job Goku!"

The two stepped into the long, dark tunnel and felt the entire building rumble beneath their feet. They started running hoping to find some way out of this maze, hearing footsteps up ahead they turn the corner, spotting Pilaf and his two loyal henchmen making their own escape

Goku yelled, "STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Pilaf screeched and nearly dropped the dragon ball as he looked behind him "Shu hit the button!"

They saw the walls raise up in front of them, neither of the boys stopped as they easily smashed through them. Gohan noticed the building began to shake even more as the chase continued into a brightly lit hanger area. He saw as PIlaf and his men disappeared behind a thick metal door.

Goku slammed into it hoping to bash through the thick metal but was frustrated only to find a dent was all he could make

"Ugh! Come on, we're so close. Jack there's gotta be another way around."

Gohan interrupted "Goku I think they just got in a ship, this must be a base they built out here in the desert."

Just as he finished that sentence the door in front of them rose, along with seemingly the entire wall around it, they watched as the massive circular ship rose out of the hanger. Gohan followed Goku and they both jumped onto the side of the ship and held onto a thin ledge that extruded from it. They rose into the sky only to be immediately shot at by Red Ribbon jets.

It was clear the ship was taking too much damage as areas of it began to explode and shrapnel rained down with a piece hitting Goku's head and slicing his arm as it fell. He was immediately knocked out and would have fallen if Gohan hadn't caught him. He hovered in the air relieved that his father wasn't anywhere near close to conscious and yelled out for the fluffy cloud. It appeared with haste and took them far away from the battlefield, it was a defeat, no dragon ball and a head injury to go with it.

Gohan flew them to greener pastures in the direction of another dragon ball. He sat patiently as the cloud made its way through the air towards their next target. While waiting he examined the cut on his father's arm and dismissed it as a scrape then ran his hand through his hair feeling for what he was sure was going to be blood. He felt a large bump near the back of his head but surprisingly that was it, just a bump.

_Phew, jeez dad you always said you had a thick skull but this is ridiculous._

He landed them next to a river within a deep jungle that teemed with life beneath the thick shade of the trees. Gohan picked Goku up and propped him up against a tree. He sat next to him and watched the sunset through a gap in the net of leaves above.

Goku awoke to see the mix of beautiful reds, yellows, and purples that radiated as the sun began to disappear behind the mountains in front of him.

"Beautiful isn't it Goku?" Gohan visualized all the times he would sit with his father and watch the sunset, those were simpler times, before Cell, before the Androids, even before the Saiyans. "When I was really young, younger than five, at the end of every day y-" he cleared his throat as he corrected his mistake "my dad would always sit me on his lap and we'd watch the sunset together."

Goku turned his head to see Gohan sitting closely by him. Although confused as to how they got there and why they were sitting watching the sunset all he could focus on were the tears forming in the eyes of his friend as he stared into the fading sun. He remembered the story Gohan had told him, about how he lost his father. He could relate to missing someone that much, he still remembered how he felt when he first lost his grandfather, how alone he seemed to be in the isolation of the deep woods. He reached his arm around Gohan hoping that just being there would be enough to cheer him up. The two watched the final bits of sun fade into the darkness of night. It would have been a rather peaceful ending to a day of excitement had Goku not seen animals run scared passed them shortly after.

He started to stand up but noticed Gohan had fallen asleep with his head resting on his arm. Goku carefully picked him up and laid him on the grass next to the tree, he decided he'd ask how they got there later. His attention turned back to the animals as more passed him including a group of frightened monkeys. He began running towards whatever threat awaited him when the dragon radar pinged, he took it out and saw that he was running towards the white dot indicating the next dragon ball, whatever he was dealing with definitely had something to do with it.

Smoke was the first thing he saw, it rose above the trees in thick black puffs. He came upon a roaring fire set by none other than the Red Ribbon Army, he cleared his way through burning logs and charred trunks to meet the colonel who was aiming straight at a monkey that was fleeing with the dragon ball.

Goku raced ahead of Silver who steadied his aim as he shot the branch the monkey was reaching for causing it to fall off of a massive cliff. Goku caught the doomed monkey just in time. He noticed that she didn't have the dragon ball the baby she was carrying

The monkey seemed to show gratitude before it climbed over Goku who held onto the cliff with one hand "Aw man it's the five-star ball."

He turned his head as he heard the scream of the monkey. Climbing back up onto solid ground he met the colonel face to face. Goku could see him holding the now dead monkey and her baby. Silver pried the baby monkey from the mother's arms, throwing its corpse to the side. He tried grabbing the ball from the baby but it threw it over the cliff landing with a splash into the river below.

"You little fool, now I'll kill you too!" He began to squeeze the monkey's throat but was kicked backward by Goku causing him to release his grip on the poor animal. He picked himself up off the ground, he felt like he just got hit by a truck. "I don't know what you are, but you aren't human."

The boy spat back "You're the only one who isn't human here! You killed that monkey just for a stupid dragon ball."

The colonel laughed as he tapped the button the activate button on the radio on his waist which served as an indication to other officers that he was in danger. He raised his hands in the air admittingly and said

"And I'd do it again kid."

The colonel then jumped onto the floor with his hands over his head as Red Ribbon Forces began firing rapidly on his position. Goku jumped off the cliff, he was hungry, tired and already injured from earlier that day, there was no way he could beat both the Red Ribbon ground forces or their tanks. As he fell he screamed "NIMBUS!"

The cloud caught him and he flew downriver. He made a giant circle trying to avoid seeing any troops and eventually made his way back towards where Gohan was.

When he got there it had started to rain, he picked Gohan up and placed him on the cloud along with some firewood. He remembered passing a cave on his way back and decided that it was a good place to hold up for the night.

He quickly built the fire in the dark cave, he had built plenty in pitch-black darkness and was very skilled in doing so. The flint sparked and the tinder caught flame and Goku continued to feed its insatiable hunger for wood. The rain poured outside, it rained harder there than any other place Goku had ever seen. He could see Gohan shiver from the cold as the wind blew into the cave. He took a break from feeding the fire and shifted Gohan closer to it hoping that would be enough but it didn't seem to be. Putting as much wood into the fire as he could he brightened the flame and laid next to his shivering friend.

The rain was so bad that night it completely flooded the river causing the dragon ball to wash up onto dry land and wedge itself between two boulders. The rain stopped in the early hours of the morning and the sun rose above the rainforest.

The sun was bright but the cave served as perfect shade to stop the sun from blinding them. Goku and Gohans stomachs rumbled as they woke up and the two searched the forest for fruit, quickly finding plenty to fill their massive appetites.

"You wouldn't believe it, Jack, he killed this poor mommy monkey then tried to take the dragon ball from her baby. It was terrible but I couldn't beat him because I was hungry and my head hurt."

Gohan scolded himself

_You fell asleep, you just can't help being useless, can you? What if something happened? What if one of those Red Ribbon grunts got a lucky shot in on dad? What then huh?_

He spoke with remorse "That's awful Goku I'm sorry I wasn't there for you"

Goku, while chewing on the bits of apple in his mouth, said "That's ok I didn't want to wake you up, you seemed really tired." He paused as his grip nearly crushed his apple " I'm just so sick of these guys, they're terrible."

The two finished their breakfast and began their search for the five-star ball eventually coming upon a man and a wolf dressed in Red Ribbon clothing searching for it too. Goku hopped off the cloud and gazed onto the radar's digital green plane, he guided his red marker to right on top of the white dot. He lowered the radar seeing two boulders in front of him. He reached between the two and felt a smooth orb. He got a good grip and lifted it out counting then recounting the five stars. He held it over his head and laughed as he spoke to Gohan

"We got it!"

The two henchmen stared in awe as the two walked back to the magical cloud that carried them wherever they wished

"Stop right there you two! Give us that ball or we'll shoot"

The two prepared their pistols but were quickly beaten by the boys, they laid incapacitated and watched the two fly off into the sky. The man managed to crawl over to their jeep and turn on the radio. He flipped through the channels until he came upon the one designated for officers only

"Colonel silver sir, I think we have a problem here"

* * *

Goku stared at the ball as the two soared through the air, captivated by its orange glow and five red stars. He sighed, upset that this one carried one more than his grandfathers.

Gohan saw his disappointment which was very visible as he drooped his shoulders "It's ok Goku we'll find it"

Goku looked over at Gohan and noticed a rocket heading straight for them.

Silver ran back into the makeshift base he used for the dragon ball search and placed the launcher on the table. He ran quickly back outside waited for his adversaries to crash in front of him.

He grabbed Gohan and threw himself off the cloud. He slammed into the ground on his back and whined as his lower spine took most of the impact. Goku stood up and searched the sky for his cloud that had been incinerated

"You blew up my nimbus!"

The colonel removed his jacket and cracked his knuckles "Yes I did, didn't I? Well you'll have to forgive me sometimes I get a little overzealous. Say you wouldn't happen to have some sort of dragon ball locater would you? Ours seems to be a little imprecise and I'm in the market for a new one. Hand it over now."

Goku stood in his fighting pose despite his new injuries. Gohan could see just how physically unfit Goku was for this fight, the cut on his shoulder he'd dismissed as a scrape reopened bleeding profusely and he could see Goku bend forward a little trying to take the pressure of his own weight off of his back. He walked forward and rested a hand on his father's shoulder

"Relax Goku, I've got this one."

Goku collapsed onto the floor, thankful for the assist, and looked confidently up at Gohan "Alright, good luck Jack you've got this."

The man laughed at Goku's replacement "So you have a death wish, do you? With him, I was a little worried but you an ordinary child, you are finished" He charged at Gohan only to be punched into the dirt just as Goku did the night prior. His head smacked into a rock causing him to be knocked unconscious instantly.

Gohan walked back over to Goku and helped him stand up

"That guy wasn't so tough huh?"

He smiled happy to see some confidence from Gohan who always seemed to be somewhat insecure

"I guess not, great job Jack!"

Goku walked over to the colonel's jacket, he remembered seeing him pull out a container of capsules back at the Ox Kings. Reaching into the pockets he found the container and selected a capsule at random. He threw it and out came a lanky droid that raised its hand to salute him

"I am a personal robotic assistant and I am at your service master."

Goku was amazed he'd never seen a robot that looked like this "Huh you're strange. Can you help me, I need something fast to ride in so my friend and I can go find the dragon balls."

The droid responded in its robotic voice "Throw the dinocap labeled number three."

Goku did as the droid asked and a jet appeared before him "Wow! It's an airplane but it's so small. Jack, I thought airplanes were way bigger than this."

Gohan smiled at his father's naivety "Well they can be both small and big, this one specifically is a fighter jet and those are usually very small."

Goku walked over to it releasing the hinge that opened up the cabin of the aircraft, he saw that there were only two seats and he knew Gohan probably couldn't fly this

"Aw man, Mr. Robot we can't fly in this there's only two seats."

The robot stepped closer to the vehicle and activated the world map screen on the ship's computer

"Two seats is quite sufficient as you are traveling with only one companion. Please type the coordinates for your destination into the Navi-Computer and the Red Ribbon Special Forces Fighter Jet will transport you there."

Goku began to sweat, it took him a lot of time to count on his fingers, there was no way he could plug in coordinates

"Uh Jack do you know how to type in coord-uhm"

Interjecting the droid said "coordinates."

Goku smiled at the robot "Thank you."

Gohan walked over and stepped into the front seat of the cockpit. He plugged in the coordinates for the closest dragon ball and gave a thumbs up to Goku who waited for his answer.

"Yeah, alright!" Goku hugged the robot "Thank you so much!"

The robot responded coldly "If my services are no longer needed please place me back into my capsule by pressing the red button I am displaying, also do keep in mind to place me back into spot number seven"

Goku clicked the button and witnessed the robot transform back into its capsule form. He placed it carefully back into its spot and hopped into the back seat of the craft. Gohan pressed the 'begin journey' button and the jet shot into the sky.

Goku pressed his face against the glass and watched as the fog formed. While drawing his best interpretation of his cloud on the window he pictured himself flying on it and soaring through the open-air once more. He wiped away the image upset that his companion was gone, he missed his nimbus already


	16. Chapter 16: A Snowy Conflict

Gohan watched as the marker indicating the plane traveled slowly across the continents on the map. Strangely enough, he couldn't point out Mount Pouzu on it, perhaps his little cottage home was more unknown than he had originally thought.

The whirring of the plane's engines served as a major comforting factor, the pleasant buzz acted as something to fill in the silence of the cramped cabin.

The two slowly settled in for the predicted eleven-hour flight and Gokus voice filled the craft replacing the engines for a brief moment.

"Jack, the nimbus was way faster than this."

Gohan sighed "Yeah Goku I know." He turned around in his chair to see Goku doodling on the window "I'm sorry."

Goku fabricated a smile "That's ok, you didn't do anything wrong. These Red Ribbon people just don't know when to quit, I hope that's the last we see of them."

Gohan sat back down in his chair facing the many panels and computer screens displaying information.

_Me too daddy, I'm sorry about your cloud. I don't remember you telling me you lost it when you were young...Maybe me being here has already changed too much._

For some reason, Goku played the day's events back in his head and remembered just how fast Gohan moved as he swept through countless riflemen. Goku's mind wandered even further back to the tournament when he asked if Gohan was hiding anything from him, he frowned remembering the response, an adamant 'no'.

"Jack, you're not hiding any of your power are you?"

Gohan was surprised at the question and nervous as well, had he made a mistake? Had he slipped too much power into one of his punches during the battle to the point where it was noticeable?

"N-no, what makes you say that?"

Goku recognized that tone, more so than ever before, it sounded racked with guilt but he decided to explain himself rather than accuse Gohan of lying.

"Well you moved way faster yesterday at the town than you ever did at the tournament, I mean even I couldn't see you."

Gohan stressed as he tried his best to sound convincing

"Maybe you were just distracted, all the gunfire and the sand kicking up with the wind is a little disorienting"

Goku smiled as he tried to dismiss his suspicions just as he did at the tournament, after all, 'Jack' had promised him he wasn't hiding anything.

"You're right, I'm sorry I'm acting so strange, I just worry is all." He rubbed his chin as he began again "You know what's kind of funny? Ive never really worried about anybody except you. Maybe its because you remind me so much of me or maybe it's because of how kind you are to people but it doesn't matter. I just want you to promise me you aren't holding anything back during these fights; after that Silver guy, I think this adventure for my grampa's ball could get really dangerous.

Gohan first breathed a silent sigh of relief, he knew he needed to be more careful, he knew he could only get away with so much before his father catches onto his lies.

" I appreciate that you care so much, it means a lot to me. And I promise I'm not holding anything back."

His answer had satisfied Goku who was content enough to return to his drawings on the window.

The two didn't talk very much for the next few hours, it was hard to converse when a giant chair stands between the person you are trying to talk to. Morning turned to night as the two traveled across plains, oceans, forests, and deserts. They eventually ended up in a snowy region filled with massive mountain ridges and snow-covered hills.

They had both been asleep as it was already late at night when the engines began to freeze. The cabin filled with a deep red light and a beeping siren began. The two woke up in a panic but were met with a calm female voice coming from the speakers.

**Warning! Warning! Dual engine failure! Eject! Eject!**

Gohan scrambled to look if his father had strapped himself in, which he had. They pulled their red ejection levers and were thrust upwards from the craft into the freezing cold of night. The chutes deployed quickly and they both watched as their plane crashed into the land beneath them.

When their seats finally drifted to the ground the two went to investigate the crash which served their only source of light. As they approached Gohan could see Goku shivering in the cold, it wasn't something he was used to because for as long as he'd known his father he always warm, even out in the snow. It was upsetting to see him be so brittle.

They stared at the plane that was now unrecognizable; the wings were torn from the body and the cabin burned brightly, illuminating the surrounding area. Gohan sensed a minuscule power level approaching them from behind. He turned around to see a little red-haired girl peeking out from a little pile of snow. Goku spotted her just as Gohan did and eagerly ran over.

"Excuse me, do you have someplace for us to go? It's f-freezing out here."

The little girl was ecstatic she hadn't seen another kid around in ages, let alone two. She grabbed his hand nearly pulling his arm off as she showed him the way. "Sure follow me, my village isn't too far from here!"

The two followed her into a small village full of circular homes all connected through shoveled paths. She led them to her home where her mother greeted her at the door

"Suno!" She gasped "Bringing guests home this late, that's so unlike you. Please bring them by the fire, the one in orange looks nearly frostbitten. I'll bring coffee in shortly and we'll sort all this out."

Goku and Gohan both huddled by the fire covered in blankets. They bathed in its warm, comforting glow and answered the eager mother's questions

"So what brings you two so far north?"

Goku made a sour face as he put his coffee down, he didn't know what it was but he didn't like it "We're looking for the dragon balls."

The mother trembled in her chair "Y-You don't work for the Red Ribbon Army do you?"

Goku frowned, upset at hearing the name "No, are they bothering you guys?"

Suno stood close to her mother whos pigment slowly returned to her skin "They've been terrorizing our village for so long, they took Suno's father and the other men to search out in the cold for those dragon balls but no one's found anything."Her voice cracked as she continued "They-they even captured our village chief and locked him inside of a place called muscle tower."

Goku was pleased with that, just what he needed to get his mind off of his cloud, an insurmountable challenge.

"We'll beat those Red Ribbon guys and bring your chief back. It's the least we can do after all your help."

Gohan stood up, he knew his father wasn't going to wait until morning so he figured he may as well be ready for a midnight raid on this 'Muscle Tower'.

"But your just two little boys! These are grown men wi-"

They all heard a pounding knock on the front door.

"Open up! It's cold and we're just making our evening rounds." They knocked harder and louder "Don't make this difficult!"

The mother walked up to the door with Suno hidden behind her and slowly opened it. The soldiers gave their standard greeting and walked in to inspect the home. They were surprised when they saw Goku and Gohan standing in the living room next to the fireplace

One soldier said in a panicked voice "Holy shit it's those kids!"

His partner hardly could say anything, he was scrambling to pull out his rifle but before he could get a shot off they both were knocked unconscious simultaneously by the boys.

Suno and her mother were stunned, two strong soldiers apart of the invincible Red Ribbon Army now laid on the floor at their mercy.

Goku laughed "See that's a good start! Now, do you know where this muscle tower is? I really want to help you guys."

The mother realized these were no ordinary boys but her instincts still told her not to show them the way, at least not then. She picked the soldiers up one at a time and laid them in the cellar beneath the kitchen. She walked back upstairs and decided to figure out how to deal with the soldiers later.

"You'll have to wait until morning, you'll never find it out there in the dark and neither of you is wearing any winter clothing. In the morning you'll get a hot meal and some snow gear. If you haven't changed your mind by then I will show you the way, I won't try to stop you."

She showed them to an extremely cramped guest bedroom with barely enough space for two sleeping mats. Surprisingly, both found the room quite cozy and took to the mats as soon as they were set up with covers and a pillow. Goku fell asleep quickly but after the long nap in the plane, Gohan didn't feel very tired. After laying there for a while the wind began to pick up outside, eventually developing into a full-blown blizzard. Gohan closed his eyes and laid his head against the pillow, he hated that sound the wind made as it howled outside; it frightened him greatly. Ever since the arrival of the saiyans he always hated the sound of howling wind because to him it always sounded like screaming. Exactly who's screams they were, he could never tell, but they at least sounded reminiscent of Tien's scream for Chaotzu. That sound of a heartbroken scream at the loss of a friend, at someone so dear, was haunting and made him retreat under his covers. Subconsciously he scooched the mat closer to his father, Gohan only stopped when he realized that the edges of the mats began to overlap.

The wind grew louder and more powerful, covering the small window in a thick layer of snow.

Gohan couldn't help it anymore, he tried covering his ears to try and block it out, but even with them covered, he still couldn't escape the awful sounds that hissed outside and so, he tried the only thing he thought might calm himself down, he threw his blanket over his father and snuggled up next to him. He felt Goku move and was relieved he hadn't woken up but was just shifting around unconsciously. Still, despite being as close to him as he could, Gohan was terrified, the wind refused to stop its tormenting. Suddenly, just before the wind was able to cause Gohan to burst into tears Goku shifted once more. He moved one arm underneath Gohan's head to cushion it and rested the other over top of him, all while being entirely asleep.

The wind died down for a moment and then picked up again, but thankfully it no longer mattered, Gohan felt entirely safe as long as he was being held by Goku. In his father's arms he felt true relief, this, this is what he had missed in the months after the Cell Games, he had missed feeling this safe and warm and comfortable, he had missed being able to go into his parent's room and tell his father he was frightened, he had missed feeling loved.

When they woke in the early morning they ate a modest-sized breakfast of eggs and bacon. There wasn't much in terms of variety so far north because shipments of food that came from the bigger cities were infrequent and the main roads that transported them required plowing often, still, the warm gesture was appreciated by both of the boys. Gohan sat at the table and finished his eggs before asking the mother a question

"So what did you decide to do with those soldiers?"

She could hardly speak as she covered her giggles with her hand "They couldn't remember a thing! When they woke up I told them they came in from the cold very disoriented and allowed them to stay in the cellar. I lead them upstairs and while gripping their heads gave the living room and kitchen a quick inspection before going on their way."

After breakfast Suno's mother gave them both poofy but resilient snow gear and reluctantly pointed them towards what she assumed to be their final resting place. Goku and Gohan took a few steps from the house before waving goodbye to Suno and her mother. The little girl seemed particularly upset at Goku's departure, she cupped her hands to sound louder as she had a naturally soft voice.

"Goku, promise you'll save our chief and come back safe."

Goku turned and gave her a thumbs up "Don't worry! I promise we'll both come back safe with your chief. We already beat one of those mean Red Ribbon guys anyway. His name was Colonel Silver. Whatever 'colonel' means it sounds important and I think that's why these guys hate us so much."

Goku turned around and began walking with Gohan in the direction of the infamous muscle tower. While they walked Goku looked at the ground and focused on the crunch he heard as he placed one foot in front of the other

"Jack, what is this stuff on the ground?"

Gohan was in disbelief, did his father really not know about snow?"

"Uh, it's snow Goku. Man, your grandpa really didn't teach you much about the world did he?"

Goku picked up some snow as they walked "He taught me lots of stuff but I guess he never really told about different places. I think he never talked about the world because I never asked him, that's kind of how grampa was. You ask him a question he would always tell you the truth, but, if you never asked about something he probably wouldn't tell you."

The two continued their walk until they saw a massive red brick tower in the distance. It was partially shrouded by the snow that blew up into the wind but they could tell its base was circular and had battlements all the way around, they could also see that after those battlements the tower slimmed into a long cylinder-like shape. Gohan didn't want to call any plan of attack, it had always been his father's job to do that.

Goku focused his vision on the tower "Ok Jack, I'm not great with plans but here's the idea: These guys don't seem very observant and probably won't be ready for a head-on attack. You and I are just about the same speed so we run at the tower, I grab you and use my power pole to get us up on one of the sides of the tower. From there on out we'll just make something up. Sound good?"

Gohan was again surprised by his father's tactical competence. Sure the plan by normal people's standards was moronic but for two bulletproof little boys, it was effective, speedy and well thought out up until they actually get in the tower.

"Yeah, Goku let's do it!"

They both ran towards the tower coming into the sentries field of vision. The alarms wailed and a couple dozen soldiers shot in their direction. Goku blocked most of the bullets that were near them with his power pole and as they got closer knocked out a few of the more tenacious guards that left the safety of their posts to face them.

As they neared the external battlements Goku grabbed Gohan's hand and stuck his pole into the snow in front of them propelling the two upwards. He yelled "power pole extend!" and the two were lifted onto the top of the external wall.

They walked around the top of the battlements that were eerily empty until they looped around the tower. They completed their lap and came upon a single wooden door with a speaker to the left of it

"Man, Jack, this place is huge. It's gonna take us forever to find the chief in there

They heard the speaker activate and a thick Russian voice spill out of it

"AHAHA! I see you, little intruders! Welcome to muscle tower!" He cackled wildly until they heard the crash of a bottle onto the floor. His voice was filled with rage as he screamed in a language they couldn't understand "Sukin syn!" He cleared his throat and sighed, he said in an irritated voice "You are welcome to try and collect your little chief, all you must do is enter the door in front of you. Don't expect to get far, I'm not as soft as Colonel Silver, now you face the mightiest general of the Red Ribbon Army: General White!"

The two opened the door just as the transmission cut, they entered a brightly lit room with a couple of soldiers sitting around a table playing cards. The men stood up and quickly drew their pistols firing at the two. They dodged the bullets with ease and dispatched the guards just as easily. They heard the speakers activate once more

"Ah, now I see what Silver was up against. You two are no ordinary children, you have received martial arts training. Sadly no matter how hard I pushed these troopers they never took to the Spetznaz hand to hand combat procedures I implemented. Fools got what they deserved. Go ahead and ascend to the next floor, malen'kiye lyudi!" They heard his wheeze of a laugh before he cut the transmission.

Goku led the way as they walked up the stairs. They reached the third floor and a few lights flickered on, they saw a massive swivel chair with a big and burly man sitting in it. Gohan sensed no energy coming from him and determined he was an android rather quickly, however, he didn't think it was from Dr. Gero because of the craftsmanship or lack thereof. This android seemed of lower quality than all the previous ones he'd faced, its skin was noticeably silicon like and its hair seemed to sheen unnaturally in the dim light, what's more, he could hear it's robotic joints as it stood from its chair.

"Good evening. I am Major Metallitron and this is the third floor. To reach the fourth floor you must get passed me and the statistical probability of that is zero percent. None have ever bested me in battle and you children are the least likely to defeat me." He raised his fist slowly into the air and locked it behind him. He waited a second before attempting to slam it down on Goku who disappeared before his hit could connect. Goku then kicked the major backward, crashing him into the wall.

The android stood slowly from the rubble and opened his mouth which erupted in flames as he shot a rocket out of it. Gohan threw Goku above the rocket and dodged beneath it, when the explosive collided with the wall it blew a massive hole into the side of the tower opening the room up to the cold winters wind. As Goku flew towards the major he aimed a kick that knocked robots head right off its neck.

Goku was horrified as he saw its head on the floor, he backed up to the wall and slid down it grabbing onto his knees.

"Oh no, I killed him!"

Gohan saw his father tremble, apparently he didn't notice it was a machine. He walked to the opposite end of the room where Goku sat looking at the head, neither had noticed the body still stood straight up.

"Goku relax it's a robot like the one that helped us with the plane. It's not a real person."

Goku picked himself up off the floor and walked over to the robot's head "Really?"

Gohan picked up the head and showed him the wires beneath the base of its neck "See?"

He could see his father wipe his forehead and his shoulders relax, he forgot his father wasn't always used to being around death, in fact, he wondered if this was the first time his father thought he killed someone.

They both heard the body of the machine turn around and raise its gloved fist. They saw flames spew as a fist propelled itself in their direction. Goku barely dodged the fist and nearly fell to the floor. He steadied himself and ran towards Metallitron's massive frame, he jumped and shot himself straight through the machine's chest.

Gohan could see fluid leaking from the hole, it seemed to be fuel as he could smell gasoline. The next thing he knew the machine stiffened and collapsed onto the floor. Gohan walked over to his father and pat him on the back, he seemed as invincible as ever. The pair walked over to the stairs and began to climb. The speaker activated again as the two spiraled up along with the staircase.

"You little brats! No one has ever beaten Major Metallitron!" He stuttered as he gathered his thoughts "No matter, now you will meet your end at the hands of Ninja Murasaki. This is an honor no one has ever had the displeasure of experiencing, I wish you good luck"

Neither were intimidated by his message, as a matter of fact, Goku smiled as they neared the top of the stairs "It's kind of hard to take him seriously with that funny voice huh Jack?"


	17. Chapter 17: Conflicting Motives

Goku waited for a response but didn't get one, stopping his climb and looking back towards his friend he could see Gohan's pale face carrying an odd expression. If he didn't know better he would say Gohan looked afraid.

"What's up? Something the matter?"

Gohan barked out a reply "Everythings fine, just not feeling well is all."

He hardly heard the words come from his own mouth, all of his focus was on the two power levels rapidly approaching them. He recognized their eery and almost sickly signature that chilled him to the bone. The two felt every bit as disturbing as the piccolo android and more. He couldn't hide his nervousness as he eagerly climbed the stairs looking for a cover to escape from his father.

They reached the top of the flight and stepped into a pitch-black room. Gohan held his hands out in front of him searching for a light source and heard the whistle of shurikens being thrown. He would have been surprised if he didn't already sense the person throwing them.

"Careful Jack someone's throwing stuff at us!"

Gohan heard the whizzing of more shurikens fly by as well as his father jump to avoid them

"OW!"

Goku slid off the cold, hard surface he had just slammed into "I think I just hit a rock. Who puts a rock in the middle of the floor?"

More shurikens passed the agile boy who dodged every one of them almost instinctively. Hidden behind a tree, Goku called out his invisible attacker "Hey who's there? Show yourself!"

The two heard the shifting of gears as two massive windows opened up and fluorescent lights activated illuminating an entire forest hidden within Muscle Tower.

"You are trespassing on private property. You two should feel ashamed of yourselves, making it all the way up to the fourth floor uninvited. You are the first to ever make it passed the third floor and enter my sanctum. I will make sure you are the last."

Goku frustratedly called out "Who are you and where are you? Why don't you come out and fight us for real rather than throwing these stupid darts at us!"

Gohan knew the man was hidden in a tree roughly twenty feet ahead of them but instead of warning Goku he decided to use this as his opportunity to escape.

"Hey, Goku let's split up and see if we can find him ok?"

Goku wasn't thrilled with the idea but reluctantly agreed.

"Yeah alright...just let me know if you see him."

Gohan dodged a couple of incoming shurikens and disappeared along the edges of the forest. He kept running until he found an old boarded up stairwell. He tore the boards off the doorframe and entered the dark and damp stairwell. He flew down the abandoned flights of stairs to the third level only to find the entrance had been bricked up, a halting barrier for normal people but for him it was like pushing through styrofoam

He broke through the brick wall opening himself up to the freezing cold that had now infested the third floor. He exited the tower through the hole in the wall that was now covered in snow and ice. He flew over frozen lakes and frosted forests into a desolate snowy plane where he planned to make his stand.

_Hopefully, those androids sense me and stop here, the last thing I need is for them to pass me and head straight for dad._

He waited only a moment before being met with Tien and Chiaotzu. Tien looked like he'd been strangled, he was sickeningly pale with heavy bags under his eyes and his lips were deep blue. His posture was slightly hunched which shrouded the discolored scarring around his neck. Gohan felt incredibly uncomfortable looking at him and preferred to look at Chiaotzu who seemed surprisingly normal except for the sinister dark ki of being a flesh and metal monstrosity. He heard Tien begin to speak in the raspy, baritone voice of Dr. Gero.

"Ah, we meet again Gohan. Good to see you are well and still clinging to your father. Getting tired of playing pretend are we?"

Gohan steadied his nerves trying to look as calm as he could "I'm just fine. And I wouldn't be worried about me, I'd be worried about losing your two brand new androids at the same time."

Gero was delighted in seeing his opponent's confidence "Ah, feeling bold today I see. Nowhere near as easily manipulated as last time." He paused and cleared his throat "It is good to see you though. You have just proven a theory I've been sitting on for a while."

Gohan readied himself for what he assumed would be an attack at the conclusion of the doctor's statement

"And what theory would that be?"

Gero gestured towards Gohans head and hands

"Neither your hair nor your fingernails are growing which means you have just proven that you don't age. Very intriguing, although, I suppose it would be paradoxical for you to age in a time where you don't even exist yet. I know its redundant to say but I couldn't prove the theory myself as I am an android and thus, as I am sure you know, do not age."

Gohan looked at his hands, seeing his fingernails were just as short as when he'd been thrust into this nightmare. He kept calm and posed a question that had been eating away at him since the tournament.

"You know Gero, something stuck with me the last time we spoke: you said my life had been nothing but tragedies and that you would have laughed if your childhood hadn't been the same. What did you mean by that?"

The slight smirk carried by the twisted version of Tien disappeared. They both lowered to the ground and Gero attempted to stroke his mustache. He dropped his hand to the side as he again realized the body he was in didn't facial hair. He reluctantly began to answer "I see, perhaps out here in the freezing cold is the perfect place for a heart to heart with my most hated enemy hm? Well, if you must know I... or I suppose the original Dr. Gero, went through childhood with plenty of hardship. Like you, I suffered through much of it and put on a brave face, but unlike you, my father was always right there to push me down as soon as I gained any shred of confidence."

Gohan, despite every fiber of his being not wanting to, felt pity for the old man. He tried to hide any sort of emotion on his face, there was no way he was letting Gero see any compassion.

"As I grew older I buried myself in my work. I studied robotics, engineering, anatomy, biochemistry, astronomy, every field you could imagine. Sadly it was never enough for my father so one morning I left. After all, I am a scientist, I create and build and destroy and have no need for personal attachment. I have no need for anyone or anything when I can build it all myself. Which leads me to why I hate your father so much, he destroyed every shred and every ounce of work I had built when he defeated the Red Ribbon Army. My lab, my capital, my resources all gone within the blink of an eye! Imagine losing everything that drives you, everything that you value and hold dear in one single day! It's infuriating!" Gero realized he was nearly screaming at that point. He composed himself "That's what I meant by that remark because I would have laughed had I not gone through all that myself."

Gohan was stunned, he came prepared for everything except for some semblance of humanity from Gero. In his heart, he felt the same compassion he'd always known his father for. He heard the same internal voice that guided Goku in everything he did and it was screaming 'give him a second chance'.

"I don't have to imagine it, during the battle with Cell I lost my dad. I miss him every day and I struggle to find the motivation to carry on, he's what drove me. Maybe coming to the past wasn't about settling the score between you and me, maybe it's a chance for you to really fix things. You are clearly very smart, I have only read a few books on each of the fields you've studied but have you thought about talking to your past self and leading him in a better direction? Like guiding him to help people?"

The doctor growled "Don't think I don't see what you're doing; I know what kind of game you play and I won't humor your idiocy. There was no greater pleasure for me than working with the Red Ribbon Army, I was renowned there unlike any other place I have ever been. I wouldn't trade the experience for anything, especially not some false chance at 'redemption'"

Against his better judgment Gohan made a final attempt to appeal to Gero as he readied himself for a fight "But why? If you want people to like you then create something that's good for everyone."

"I don't want people to like me, I want them to respect me and the only way I will get any real respect in this world is through my work." Gero grinned confidently as he motioned to himself and Chiaotzu.

"I brought you to the past because you would be alone and without any allies. I will destroy you then travel back to the present where I will release my new androids. People will realize they cannot stop them and then they will become submissive to me. Then people will respect me because I will force them to."

Gohan spat back "People won't respect you, they'll just fear you!"

Gohan didn't wait for him to make the first move, he powered up to super saiyan and went for Chiaotzu first. He attempted to hit him with a ki blast but it missed as Chiaotzus speed was far greater than the real one.

Chiaotzu disappeared, slamming into Gohans back. He wasn't fazed in the slightest, Gohan reached around lifting the machine by its head and ripped it off of its shoulders. Oil and blood squirted from Chiaotzu and covered Gohan's winter clothes. He was surprised and disgusted at his own brutality, dry heaving as he threw the head next to the rest of the mechanical corpse.

Gohan averted his attention from the horrific sight that he promptly buried underneath the snow and searched for the Tien android. He rose back into the sky feeling out for its ki which flew further and further away until it disappeared. Gohan scoffed as he removed his bloodied jacket and winter pants revealing his purple gi underneath.

_Coward_

Gohan made it back to the tower and climbed up the stairs back into the fourth floor. Not much had changed since he left except for a few smashed trees, he walked along the dirt path that led through the forest being mindful to make as little noise as possible.

He continued along the path before being grabbed and pulled into a hollow tree by Goku.

Gohan was happy to see he was alright "Goku why are you in here?"

Goku whispered as quietly as he could "The guy that was throwing that stuff at us split himself into five. I hid in this tree trunk to give me some time to think about a way to beat him." Goku brushed the dirt off Gohans back from when he dragged him into the tree "Where have you been?"

"I got lost after finding another stairwell. I think it just leads to the lower levels of muscle tower." Gohan was surprised at the plausibility of his own lie, the fact that he was getting better at telling them was worrying.

Goku joked "Well that's good, now we have two sets of stairs if we need them." He waited a moment before taking his power pole out of its holster "Jack I think we can take these guys. You ready to go?"

Gohan nodded and the two exited the tree. They walked up to a small minka style house and found all five of the Murisakis. They spread out and surrounded the boys before the original spoke to them

"So I see your friend has returned has he? I figured he ran away after finding that old staircase. No matter, now you two will die together!"

Goku swung the power pole around smacking two of the ninjas into a nearby tree. Gohan knocked out the other three with a couple of kicks and punches to each one.

The two dragged the brothers inside of the home where a pot of soup simmered on a stove, both were incredibly hungry but they decided that finding the chief was more important than eating.

They walked around the border of the room looking for the next set of stairs. They eventually found a flight of thick metal stairs and climbed up to a balcony that circled the entire floor. The two hopped onto the metal bars that kept them from falling off and gazed at the entire indoor forest, lake, and house beneath them. Goku eventually stopped staring and walked to the opposite end of the balcony noticing a crate containing a large Frankenstein looking creature.

The two heard the intercom activate once more,

"Ah, I see you've found Android Number Eight! Well I can assure you he is the last opponent you will ever face. Android Eight destroy them!"

Gohan raced over to his father as they both prepared to fight the monster that crawled from his cage. Gohan watched as the android stood and stretched after being in the container for so long, he couldn't place why but it looked rather familiar. The android turned to the intercom and spoke loudly

"No General White I cannot do that. I'm sorry."

The three heard the general slam his desk furiously "What do you mean you can't do that!? The red ribbon army created you, obey my command!"

The android walked over to the speaker upset by the tone in the general's voice "I don't like hurting people and there is nothing you can do to make me."

The general cackled and wheezed before responding to the android "On the contrary my friend. Murasaki has the detonator that makes you self destruct."

While Gohan watched the two as they continued their angry conversation Goku jumped over the ledge landing near the house where the ninjas laid unconscious. He crept in checking the pockets of one until he found the detonator, he smiled knowing that the mysterious giant he just met was safe. He climbed back up to the balcony holding the device above his head making himself visible to both the Android and to the cameras in the room.

"You mean this thing?"

White fell silent for a moment before sighing defeatedly

"Yes... I do mean that thing."

Goku waisted no time before smashing it to pieces. The three heard incoherent grumbling and smashing glass before the transmission was cut. Goku walked up to his new friend and said the first thing that came to mind.

"Hi I'm Goku and this is my friend Jack. What's your name?"

The giant stuttered "Sorry, how rude of me not to introduce myself, I am Android Number Eight."

Goku rose his brow "That's a strange name. Do you mind if I call you hmm." Goku rubbed his chin as he thought of a good name for the creature "Ah I got it, Eighter! Yeah Eighter! Does that name sound good?"

Eighter smiled as it was the first time any human had ever shown any compassion towards him "Yes Goku, Eighter sounds like a very nice name, thank you."

Gohan remembered hearing the name Eighter. He concentrated and remembered his father telling him a story once about him being the only friendly android he'd ever met. He thought to himself

_Leave it to dad to find friends in the most impossible places._

Goku sheathed his pole and looked for the stairs leading to the next level. Eighter tapped his shoulder and pointed the two in the right direction. As they began to walk towards the stairs Goku noticed that the android wasn't following them "Hey Eighter do you want to come with us? You look really strong and we could sure use the help."

Eighter smiled, eager to help his new friends he agreed and the three walked up the stairs and found themselves in a massive maze. They stuck together as Eighter led the way "I have the detailed schematics on the layout of this floor, we should go this way". The three then took a left a couple of rights and went straight until they hit a dead end.

Goku frowned as he tapped the wall "Maybe they changed it since the last time you saw it Eighter."

The android tapped the wall harder "No Goku this is the way but this floor is impossible to get out of if the person controlling it changes the exit point." With that Eighter smashed through the wall revealing the final staircase that led to the Generals control center.

They all walked up to the top floor of the tower opening the metal door that led into a circular room filled with monitors and computers. They saw the general walk in from another room marked 'holding cells' with a magnum aimed at the temple of an elderly man.

"Nobody move a goddamn muscle! Now I am going to leave with the old man and if any of you try to stop me I'll kill him!"

Eighter pleaded with the general "Please have mercy general, let him go."

White snapped "The only way I let him go is if you kill the kids and I don't see that happening so no deal you worthless scrap pile! You aren't worth the metal the army built you with."

Gohan anxiously waited for his father do to something, anything that would save him from getting involved

Goku yelled "Stop picking on him!"

White aimed the pistol at Goku "Ah a hero I see, well let's see where that gets you!" He unloaded the magnum which knocked the boy to the floor.

Gohan heard the clicking from the empty pistol and knocked the general unconscious before turning his attention to his father.

He lifted him up noticing that all of the bullets hit his chest. Gohan lifted up his shirt and saw the six red marks where each bullet had landed. He relaxed as none of them had broken through his skin but they would definitely bruise and badly.

"Ow, that really hurt. I'm really tired of those guns people keep carrying with them it's like getting stung by a bee!"

Gohan laughed as he helped Goku stand up

Eighter seemed particularly concerned "Goku are you alright?"

Goku smiled as he rubbed his chest "Yeah I'm fine." Goku walked over to the traumatized old man that stood frozen stiff "Hey mister are you feeling ok? We came from your village to save you."

The old man took off his glasses and wiped them with a cloth he had kept in his pocket "Y-yes I see. Well, I think we should definitely be off then. I would hate to spend any more time in this awful place."

The five walked down each floor until they exited through the battlements at the base of the tower. Eighter stopped and motioned for everyone to move away as he smashed the outer walls of the tower until the whole thing toppled over onto its side. Smoke and flames engulphed the brick building keeping any soldiers that had even an ounce of courage far away from their previously impervious base.

When they arrived at the village it was already nightfall. Suno, her mother, and her father, who returned from forced labor for the army, greeted them warmly at the door and were ecstatic that the chief was with the boys. It was clear Suno had missed Goku very much because she seemed to cling to him as soon as he stepped into the house.

Gohan and Goku explained everything that happened while they all sat down for dinner.

Suno's father questioned the two "So you kids are looking for the dragon balls are ya'?"

Goku nodded "Mmhm, but we're only looking for my grampa's four-star ball. Did you guys ever end up finding it?"

Eighter cupped his hands on the table drawing attention away from the conversation "I did." He released his hands revealing the two-star ball "It's not the one you are looking for but when I found it I knew I had to hide it. General White said he was going to kill everyone in the village once he had it."

The village chief stood from the table in amazement "My friend you are a genuine hero. I would be honored if you would stay with us here in our village."

Eighter blushed and thanked the old man. After agreeing to stay in the village he turned to Goku who seemed disappointed "I'm sorry it's not your grandfather's ball Goku."

Goku rolled the ball around on the table "That's ok but I think Jack and I should take it with us. These Red Ribbon Army people keep coming after them and I don't want this village to be in danger of another attack."

Suno's mother interjected "Well you two can't leave now, it's much too late. Why don't you stay tonight and leave tomorrow?"

Goku smiled as he gave the woman a hug "Sure that sounds great! Thank you so much for all your help."

Goku and Gohan were shown to the guest room once more and laid down on their mats and covered themselves with wool blankets. Gohan was thankful that after such a stressful day he at least got to sleep inside of an actual home rather than a cave. He sat up and reached over to pat his father's shoulder

"Goodnight Goku, sweet dreams."

Goku sat up and scooched over to hug Gohan "Sweet dreams Jack"

Gohan felt a little confused, he sensed a tinge of sadness in his father's ki as he embraced him.

"You ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine, I just really want to find that dragon ball. Grampa didn't have much but the dragon ball was the one thing he made sure I had. I didn't understand why he made such a big deal out of it at the time but I do now, he wanted me to protect it from people like the Red Ribbon Army or Pilaf."

Gohan tried comforting him "We'll find it Goku, there are only seven balls and we have two now which means we're a little over a quarter done!"

Goku smiled "Yeah, that's a good way of looking at it. Thanks, Jack, you really knew just what to say."

Once morning came the two threw on some new snow gear and the whole village gathered to send them off. The chief was particularly grateful as he opened his capsule container and offered them his Dynocaps.

"Take this as a token of my thanks and gratitude. It contains many vehicles but you'll want number six, it's a snowmobile."

Goku closed the container "No thanks Jack and I will be faster on foot." His shoulders slumped a little as he spoke "Too bad I lost my flying nimbus then we'd get to the next dragon ball super fast."

The elderly chief gasped "Did you say you had a nimbus cloud?"

Goku frowned "Yeah but it got blown up."

The chief patted the boy's shoulder "Ah, I remember those nimbus clouds, they used to be everywhere but now there are practically none left. If you really had one then I should let you know they can't be destroyed. Have you tried calling for it?"

Goku nearly jumped in excitement, he held his hands to his mouth as he screamed "FLYING NIMBUS!"

It only took a moment for his cloud to appear in front of him. He ran over and hugged the cloud which hummed seemingly happy to see him again "Nimbus I can't believe it, you're ok! It's so good to see you again! I missed you so much and now that your back you can help Jack and I find the dragon balls!"

Goku leaped onto the cloud and extended his hand helping Gohan up as well. The two sat on the nimbus and waved to all of the villagers. Eighter lifted up Suno and they both waved goodbye to the boys as they flew East, continuing their quest for the dragon balls.


	18. Chapter 18: Fabled City

As the two traveled eastward the temperature had grown rather hot and muggy. Goku and Gohan quickly abandoned their winter clothing leaving it on the side of their cloud. Before straightening his gi Goku took out the dragon radar to ensure they were still heading the right way.

Gohan sat closely to Goku as he turned on the device. The two were pleased that the beeping grew slightly faster indicating they were nearing the next ball.

"Goku we should probably get a little lower. We can't see anything above these clouds."

Goku gave a distracted reply as he stared over the edge of the nimbus, something was gnawing at him but he couldn't place what it was. His suspicions made him hesitant to command the cloud to lower them but decided he had to.

"Yeah, yeah... Nimbus could you lower us a little?"

The cloud brought them below the trees which revealed a massive swamp blanketed in a thick mist. It continued to lower them until they were just a few feet above the murky, black water that infected the land.

Goku checked the radar once again, they were only a few feet from the ball but the mist was so thick he couldn't see anything past Gohan.

"Jack can you see it?"

Gohan squinted despite knowing it wouldn't help "No Goku I can't see anything in this fog."

The cloud suddenly disappeared from beneath them, dropping them both into the waters below. The two surfaced almost immediately and gripped each other's shirts to keep from getting separated in the mist.

Gohan was surprised, in all the times he had ever ridden the nimbus it had never just disappeared "What was that?!"

Goku turned his head to speak as he led the way ashore "I don't know! Nimbus I didn't say drop us! Where are you?"

The two swam over and sunk their feet into the dark mud that made up the crude shoreline. Both noticed it had grown incredibly cold since just a few minutes ago and shivered as they rung out their clothes.

The mist grew ever thicker as the two made their way into the dryer portion of the swamp.

Neither could see anything, not even each other. Both held an incredibly tight grip the other as they stumbled along blindly attempting to dodge trees, rocks and whatever else obstructed their path. With his free hand Goku pulled out the radar and held it as close to his face as possible but despite his efforts he couldn't see a single thing.

"Aw man, I can't even read what the radar says."

Goku attempted to put the radar back into his shirt but tripped on a rotting log the mist had made invisible. He felt the grip on his shoulder disappear as he fell.

Gohan searched the ground where his father had tripped, covering himself in mud; His heart raced as he called out his name but the only replies were the echos of his own voice. He gave up searching physically and decided to reach out for his ki which he couldn't pinpoint either. The fact that he couldn't sense his energy mist was terrifying but he attempted to reassure himself

_It's fine. Don't panic. Dad's fine. If he wasn't fine you wouldn't still be here._

Goku pushed himself up from the mud that now covered his gi and called out for his friend

"Jack! Where are you?"

His yells garnered no response.

"Hello?!"

He sighed and resigned himself to more blind walking through the mist in an attempt to find Gohan. Eventually, he stumbled upon a small figure that stood still, shrouded in mist.

Goku sat down to match its height and the fog cleared slightly revealing a toddler in green and yellow clothing. He wore the four-star ball on his hat and looked relieved to see him.

Goku would have been excited over seeing the ball if he hadn't seen the child's long, furry brown tail first.

"Wow, you have a tail just like me! What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

The boy huddled closer to Goku, he raised his arms opening and closing his hands indicating that he wanted to be picked up.

"I'm sorry I-I got lost."

Goku picked him up and put him on his shoulders. The toddler was far heavier than Goku anticipated causing him some strain as he tried to keep from falling over.

"Well I'm lost too" He paused attempting to scan his surroundings for any indication of where to go "Let's see if we can find a way out of here."

The mist thinned little by little as the two trecked through various areas of the swamp. After what seemed like an eternity of wandering they found an old dirt path degraded by years of neglect and covered in fallen leaves. They followed the path which elevated them above the swamps and into a densely vegetated forest. As they traveled Goku pulled out the radar once more and clicked the button to activate it. The screen stayed blank as he continuously tried to start the device.

"Oh man, I guess I broke it."

The toddler looked down from up on Goku's shoulders "That's ok Bulma can fix it."

Goku gasped "You know Bulma?"

"Yeah, you told me all about her remember? You said we'd go and visit her sometime."

The gears turned in Goku's head trying in vain to work out what the boy was talking about. He kept his tone light-hearted as to not upset this small stranger "I don't remember telling you about Bulma and I just met you so how could I have promised anything?"

The child laughed "Stop teasing me you know mom doesn't like that!"

Goku didn't respond and stared blankly ahead as they continued their journey up the trail.

The mist began to thicken once more and Goku felt the weight lift off of his shoulders, he dove behind himself in an attempt to catch the child he was certain just fell off but he heard no impact. He blindly crawled around reaching his arms out searching for him yet only found a large rock about the child's size. Quickly dropping it Goku panickingly sprawled his arms and legs out hoping to find him.

"Hey did you fall? Are you hurt?" He grew more worried as no one responded "Talk to me!"

Grabbing the first thing he felt, Goku was surprised as it flinched away from him.

"G-Goku? Is that you?"

Goku stood up feeling around until he touched Gohan's shoulder.

"Jack?"

Gohan was relieved after hours of searching he'd finally found him.

"Yeah, it's me. Goku where have you been? After you tripped I searched where you fell but it was like you disappeared."

Goku was amazed, he remembered his grandfather had told him stories about certain swamps being able to play tricks on weary travelers but he'd never told him anything like what they'd experienced.

"After I fell I got up and looked for you. I couldn't find you so I searched the forest and found a little boy, he had a tail just like me and wore grampa's ball on his hat. I don't even know if he was real though, grampa always told plenty of stories of weird things in swamps. He told me lots of stories...maybe I should have paid more attention to them."

Gohan grabbed his hand and nearly pulled Goku up the trail himself. He wanted nothing more to do with whatever was happening to them, especially if his father was seeing visions of him as a child.

It took hours but they managed their way up the trail. Appearing from the mist an old wooden sign read 'Exit .5 miles'. Quickening their paces both jogged until they came to the edge of the forest where the fog mysteriously thinned then disappeared. They collapsed exhaustedly as soon as they reached the grassy field just out of the treeline.

Goku shielded his eyes from the sun that was still rising in the East. He wondered how they could have spent so much time in the swamp and yet no time had really passed at all. He pulled out the radar and tried to turn it on to no avail.

"Jack I think I broke the radar when I fell"

Gohan sat up from the grass and peered over at the radar. He reached over and pressed the button a few times just as reassurance that it really was broken.

"That's ok Bulma can fix it."

He looked up from the radar, Gohan's inflection reminded him of the boys "I'm sorry what'd you say?"

"I said that it's ok Bulma can fix it. The only problem is we've been heading East and she lives in West City."

Goku smiled, it hadn't been that much time since the tournament but he missed seeing Bulma, Puar and Yamcha.

"Yeah, we should go! We can get the radar fixed and see everybody for a little bit!"

Bringing his hands to his mouth he summoned their cloud and they flew off once more back West. They traveled over Suno's village and the mountains that surrounded them. Passed the snowy landscapes they found large plains with massive herds of buffalo grazing as they roamed. They passed forests, jungles, and oceans before they finally made it to the fabled West City. Far above the bustling megacity Goku gazed at the cars that sped along elevated highways, he enjoyed following each one as they disappeared deeper into the city.

He marveled as they hopped off the nimbus cloud and walked deep into the commercial district. They passed massive department stores, luxurious fashion boutiques, manufacturies and towering skyscrapers all of which captivated the boy who had never seen such wonders up close. Gohan had to stop a multitude of times to explain what something was or why someone was doing something that seemed strange to Goku but he still enjoyed the experience. He continued to lead the way to the Capsule Corp. building, with the number of times he'd been there he practically had the whole city's layout memorized.

"Jack how do you know where Bulma Lives?"

Gohan gave him a simple rundown "Well she's Bulma Briefs, her father owns a company called The Capsule Corporation and he is very well known. He's so famous most people know where he lives and so most people know where Bulma lives."

They turned the corner to see a massive yellow half-spherical building with the company name plastered on the front

"Oh hey, that's it right there!"

Goku began to run ahead of Gohan passing through the busy streets whos cars slammed on their breaks to avoid hitting him. The two walked right up to the front door and were about to ring the intercom when Bulma parked her bike in the street. Goku was excited, he hadn't been away from Bulma for very long but he had missed her.

"Bulma! It's so great to see you!"

She took off her helmet and placed it on the seat of her bike before looking over at him.

"Jack? Goku? What are you two doing here? Don't tell me you broke the dragon radar."

Goku naively smiled as he retrieved the radar from around his neck and held it out for her "Yeah, I tripped and fell on it. Sorry hehe!"

She sighed as she took it from his hands "That's ok Goku, I should have made a tougher one for you considering you always manage to get into some sort of trouble. Why don't you two come inside? I'll fix up the dragon radar and... Oh! I have an idea! Would you guys like to spend the day at Dreamland?"

Gohan was intrigued he had read about amusement parks like Dreamland but never had the chance to go to any, he was always too busy studying or training for that.

Goku puzzledly said, "But I'm not tired and why would we sleep during the day anyway?"

Bulma giggled "It's an amusement park you go there to have fun and ride roller coasters Goku. C'mon, it'll be really awesome! I'll buy you ice cream!"

The boy gasped and his tail wagged "Really, Ice cream? Sure I'll go!" he paused remembering he didn't come there by himself "What do you say Jack? Want to go to the park?"

He felt genuinely excited, an entire afternoon free of worries with his father sounded amazing.

"Absolutely, sounds great!"

Bulma quickly led them into her massive home and walked briskly passed the front desk where the robot attendants patiently awaited orders. She led them through the indoor garden and to the elevator that lifted them up to the fourth floor. As they exited the elevator she led them through a curved corridor and stopped at a pink door with a label on it that read 'Do not enter. Child prodigy at work'. All three entered the large room which seemed rather bare except for a bed, a workbench, and a desk with two powered off computers.

She sat down at her workbench and opened the circular back of the radar, she worked on the circuitry for only a minute before closing it back up.

"That'll do it. Yeah pretty simple fix, you just knocked the A2 circuit a little loose." She handed the radar back to goku who retied it around his neck and turned it on. He checked for the dragon ball that was near the swamp but nothing came up.

"That's strange, Jack take a look"

Gohan was bewildered, there never was a dragon ball in the swamp despite him vividly remembering the radar saying so "We should definitely stay outta' swamps from now on."

He nodded in agreement "Hmhm!"

Bulma somewhat listened to the conversation but was more focused on the new watch she had made for an occasion just like this "Hey Goku remember how I couldn't fly on the nimbus cloud? Well check this out now I can!" She showcased the watch that displayed two buttons, one red and one blue.

Goku held onto her forearm and inspected the watch "I don't get it how does this help you fly on the nimbus?" Pressing the blue button he nearly jumped back as Bulma shrunk before him.

Bulma bragged "Pretty neat huh? It's pretty complicated so I won't bore you with the details. Now you can carry me around while you fly on the nimbus!"

Happy, Goku laughed in giddy excitement "Yeah, that'll make getting to Dreamland much easier! But wait what about Yamcha?"

The shrunken girl crossed her arms and pouted "I don't want to talk about Yamcha."

Goku lifted her up and put her in his gi, as they were walking out he continued to question her "Are you two fighting?"

Frustrated, Bulma yelled at Goku "Yes were fighting! What part of I don't want to talk about it don't you understand?"

He laughed because he knew she wasn't really mad at him just mildly displeased.

Bulma timed her response well because as soon as they exited the building they saw a couple of girls on the sidewalk excitedly calling for Yamcha "That's why! After the tournament, a whole bunch of stupid girls made a fan club for him."

Gohan silently laughed, the idea of a fan club over Yamcha seemed particularly funny to him. The three climbed aboard the cloud which promptly took them to the towering amusement park. Before even getting off the nimbus they were eagerly greeted by Yamcha, Puar and Oolong.

"Goku! How've you been buddy?"

Goku jumped off the cloud and was excited to finally see Yamcha. He looked like he'd been training hard since the tournament, his muscles seemed more defined than before and perhaps a little slenderer as well.

"I've been good, Jack and I found two of the dragon balls but we needed to see Bulma because the radar broke." Goku paused and pointed up above at Dreamland "Hey were you guys heading to the park too?"

"Yeah we are! Looks like we all get to spend the whole day together, just like old times."

The group stood still as the escalator rose them up to the park. The tube which they stood in encapsulated them with vibrant colors and as they drew closer to the park drowned them in intoxifying smells of cinnamon and baked sweets. Once they stepped off the escalator and got through the park's entrance there was so much to explore Goku didn't know where to start.

Gohan tugged on his sleeve "C'mon Goku the rollercoasters are this way!"

The two separated from the group and went to the 'adventure' section of the park. There were dozens of rollercoasters each one varying in size and complexity. The two spent the entire afternoon going on each coaster at least twice, neither minded waiting in lines because the adrenaline-pumping rides were worth it as long as they got to ride them together.

Nearing the end of the day Goku and Gohan reconvened with the group for what was supposed to be an early dinner and ice cream but their plans were interrupted as they heard a woman screaming nearby. Goku, Gohan, and Yamcha ran in the direction of the screams which led them into the mystic section of the park. They found the source of the cries which was a lady in a pink scarf being attacked by two would-be robbers. The men darted off as soon as they caught wind of trouble leaving their attempted victim lying in the street. Goku chased after them while Yamcha and Gohan comforted the woman but the men seemed to disappear after turning the corner.

"Thank you for saving me! Those awful men tried to rob me. For that, I'll give you and your friends all free fortunes if you'd come to my part of the park."

Yamcha blushed, he still wasn't the best at handling attention from girls yet "Uhm, no thank you miss. M-my friends and I really should be going...we have a uh dinner to get to."

She swirled her fingers on his chest "Oh please I insist! You won't regret it. I am renowned world-wide as a great fortuneteller and it won't cost you one cent."

Something about her put Gohan on edge, her energy didn't feel innocent or kind it actually felt rather dark and mischevious.

Gohan trailed behind Goku and Yamcha as the woman led them into a palace resembling the Taj Mahal. She led them to her fortune-telling room and sat each of them down on massive decorated pillows.

"Hm, how about we start with the tailed boy first. Goku is it?"

Yamcha and Goku gasped but Gohan grew more suspicious, he sensed the two robbers ki's nearby waiting for something.

"How did you know my name?"

The woman held her hands over her crystal ball as she pretended to concentrate "I know a great many things. For example, I know you carry two balls with you, each one carrying great power and I ask, may I see them?"

Goku untied his belt "If you say so!" Gohan could tell where this was going and sensed the robbers getting ready to make their move.

"Goku don't!"

He was already too late the boy had dropped his pants leaving the woman speechless. Yamcha nearly died of laughter as Goku pulled them back up barely managing to wheeze out "Goku I think she meant the dragon balls!"

"Oh, I forgot all about them" Goku took out the blue pouch and untied it revealing the orbs.

The woman smiled "Wonderful, I expected this to be far more of a challenge."

Goku confusedly asked, "Expected what to be a challenge?"

The lights went out but before she could grab the pouch Gohan snatched both of her hands. He quickly confiscated what felt like a remote from one of her palms and shoved her over onto the floor. When the lights came back on the two robbers came out carrying machine guns but lost their nerve as soon as they saw their female leader had failed to get the dragon balls. They quickly dropped their weapons and ran out of the building as fast as they could.

The woman tore off her scarf revealing long locks of golden hair, she pounded her fist into the ground "Ugh! Incompetent fools."

Gohan snapped at her "I knew something was up, you tried to lead us here so you could steal the dragon balls! I bet you work for the Red Ribbon Army don't you?"

"Yeah, Hasky's the name and don't think I'm done for yet. This remote..." She closed her hand and realized she no longer had the detonator.

"You mean this one?" Gohan smiled as he held the remote out in front of him. He shifted back into a serious tone "Tell us what it's for."

She didn't bother attempting an escape, she slouched and sighed defeatedly "I guess there's no use in lying, the law catches up with everyone eventually. The remote is to a bomb I planted in the center of the park"

Yamcha screamed "WHAT?! You were going to blow the whole park up just to get two of the dragon balls?"

Hasky rolled her eyes "Yep."

Yamcha grabbed her scarf and used it as a makeshift rope to tie her hands behind her back. The four met up with Bulma, Puar and Oolong and explained the situation. They all agreed that they should bring Hasky in. They gave her to the officer stationed as security near the entrance of the parks escalator.

Surprised that a bunch of kids managed to catch a super-criminal, the officer figured he'd let them slide on the paperwork and handle it all himself. He knew Hasky's face because back at the department there was a massive bonus for any officer who brought her in and an even bigger one if they did it alone.

"Hehe, why don't you kids get on outta here and get some food. Let the police handle Hasky"

Goku waved goodbye as Gohan led the group to a nearby restaurant "Buh-bye mister policeman, thank you!"

He laughed to himself as he led her to his patrol car "Man the boys at the station are gonna love this."


	19. Chapter 19: A little Adventure

"Daddy help me!" Gohan cried as he floated downriver on the slippery log, his grip loosening by the minute.

Only just moments ago he was lost, blindly wandering around the forest. Stumbling along an old dirt path searching for Goku or Chi-Chi. That's when he saw the little blue bird sitting elegantly upon the edge of a log at the river's side. Her beauty comforted him which compelled him to say hello. Gohan crawled onto the log to closer observe her but his weight on the opposite side of the log off-balanced it, sending him barrelling down the rapids.

Goku, who had been above the forest searching for Gohan, when he realized the little boy had slipped away from him, quickly flew the nimbus over to where he heard his cries. He flew just above the river and caught up to Gohan who moved faster and faster as the river grew more violent. Goku got as close to the edge of the nimbus as he could and stretched out his hand. He found himself only inches from being able to grab onto Gohans shirt.

"Give me your hand Gohan, I need you to reach for me!"

"I can't, I'm too scared!" he screamed after nearly losing his grip on the log "P-Please help me Daddy!"

Goku saw they were rapidly approaching a waterfall and feeling that he had no other choice he jumped in after his son. "Hold on Gohan I've gotcha! "

He threw Gohan up onto the nimbus and grabbed onto a nearby boulder that peaked out from the rapids, he pushed himself up onto it and hopped back onto the cloud. He sat down and Gohan threw himself into his father's arms.

"Thank you so much Daddy, I was so scared! I-I was following this pretty bird a-and the log it-it..."

Goku laughed and cleared the tears from his son's eyes "Hey it's ok Gohan, there's no need to explain, I understand."

"You do?" Gohan asked confusedly

"Of course I do! You got lost but It's fine because I found you. Look, see I even got your hat!" Goku gently placed the hat brandishing the four-star ball back onto Gohan's head.

Gohan stretched his arms out and Goku instinctively picked him up "Thanks, Daddy... and I'm sorry. I never meant to get so lost, I promise I won't wander ever again!"

"Hey don't worry about it Gohan you just wanted to explore. Now, whaddya' say we go drop by Master Roshi's later today like I said we would? You can meet him, Krillin and Bulma too. That sound good to you little man?"

The little boy smiled "Yeah, I can't wait to meet all your friends!"

* * *

Gohan slowly lifted his head off the pillow turning the alarm clock off before it had the chance to beep. Another night without reliving the battle with Cell, sure the dream he had was stressful for a few moments but overall pleasant compared with the usual. He remembered how scared he was, helplessly floating downriver hoping for his father or anyone to save him. Yet he didn't remember him actually jumping in. Perhaps his brain was filling in the details because the only concrete thing he could remember was that at some point he made it out of the river and onto the nimbus with his father.

Moving the covers to the side, he sat up and stretched his arms before stepping onto the slightly cold wood floor of the modern-looking guest room. Bulma allowed Goku and him to stay the night at capsule corp as long as they agreed to stay for breakfast, a proposal which neither could refuse. Seeing that he woke up a little earlier than expected he opened the closet and got dressed in his purple gi. He was a little unnerved when he couldn't find his pouch of senzu beans. He came to the sudden realization he didn't remember having them when they got to the city.

_Ugh, I must have lost the senzu beans when we were trapped in that stupid swamp. Looks like at some point I'll need to take another trip back to Korin's. Hopefully he's not too upset with me for losing them._

Gohan crept silently by Goku who was still asleep and exited into the hallway. He mosied through the halls and was surprised to see the layout was nothing like what it was in the present; there were fewer floors and many were labeled far more clearly than in the modern-day capsule corp building. He stepped into the elevator and pressed the button that took him to the first floor. As he stepped off the elevator he smelled all the different types of food that the robotic staff had been preparing, following the scent he found his way into the dining room where Bulma was already seated and working on one of many gadgets she had sprawled across the table. She lifted up her safety glasses as she heard him enter.

"Hey Jack, you're up a little early."

Gohan drew up a chair, sitting on the opposite side of the table.

"Sorry Bulma, I hope that's ok."

Placing the soldering iron into its station and moving all of her projects onto the floor she set the table for breakfast.

"It's perfectly fine and as a matter of fact I have a question for you, how would you feel if I joined you and Goku on your search for the dragon balls?"

"You want to come find the dragon balls with us Bulma?" Goku asked as he walked into the room.

Bulma who seemed to be getting more excited by the second said "Yeah, it'll be just like old times remember?"

"I don't know Bulma it's been really dangerous and you might slow us down." Goku regretted saying that almost immediately

Bulma screamed across the table "Slow you down?! I'm the one you gave you the dragon radar to begin with! Without me you'd still be living in your grandpa's little hut in the middle of the wilderness so show a little gratitude!"

Goku forked as many waffles as he could onto his plate as the robotic servers brought out breakfast

"Ok Bulma you can come but remember if things get dangerous, you asked for it!"

She crossed her arms "Yeah, yeah I get that it's dangerous but you are literally some of the toughest guys on the planet. I doubt anything could take you two down."

The three enjoyed the massive breakfast planned out by the staff and exited Capsule Corp just as rush hour was hitting. The roads were packed with cars, completely congested by the massive population of West City. The group walked to the lawn on the capsule corp property and saw the sidewalks were no less busy as thousands of men and women hurriedly rushed to their office jobs.

Goku took in a deep breath before calling for his cloud "FLYING NIMBUS!"

The cloud materialized and dove by the skyscrapers halting immediately as soon as it was in front of Goku. He sat on the cloud and picked Bulma up after she shrunk, promptly stuffing her into his shirt. He could tell by her audible sigh that indicated she was not happy about it.

"Sorry Bulma but I've got nowhere else to put you. You're too small to sit on my leg, you'll just fly right off in the wind."

Hanging onto the v-neck portion of his gi she responded unusually cheerfully "That's ok Goku, flying is the fastest way to travel so I don't expect this to be that bad."

Goku extended his hand to Gohan and lifted him up onto the cloud and commanded it to lift them up further into the air.

"So Bulma, which ways to the next dragon ball?"

She activated the radar seeing that the closest one was far into the ocean nearby Master Roshi's island.

"Oh great, the closest ball is far off to the south-east near Master Roshi's island." She knew Goku wasn't the best with directions and pointed him the right way "So It's that way."

The group swiftly flew out of the massive city and into the countryside surrounding it. They passed by countless fields of corn and rice before finally making it to the ocean. The wind was unnaturally calm causing the sun's heat to be extremely brutal as they flew further south. After hours of flying, Bulma rechecked the radar and realized they were right on top of the ball

"Goku stop right here." Goku squinted and tried to read the tiny radar Bulma was holding. She tuned the device and made it far more accurate "Ok according to the radar it's directly beneath us by about 300 feet."

Goku peered over the side of the cloud and only saw the blue water of the ocean below "But there's nothing but water down there."

Bulma turned off the radar and looked for any land in the surrounding area "It's probably underneath the water Goku and I know just how we can get it. Land us over there" She pointed to a nearby island that hosted massive sandy beaches plenty of trees. It only took a second to get there and Bulma was the first off the cloud followed shortly after by Gohan. She grew back to her normal size and stretched before taking out her container of capsules.

"See I'm already proving my worth. We can use a capsule corp submarine to get the dragon ball."

She opened the pink container to find only one capsule in an unlabeled compartment

"Oh that's just fantastic, I grabbed my father's box. I don't even want to know whatever he's got stored in this capsule considering its unmarked."

Goku innocently objected "Well what if it's something useful or even the sub-a-thingy we need"

Bulma had her doubts but listened to Goku anyways. She picked up the capsule and threw it out in front of them revealing dozens of adult magazines. Gohan blushed and looked the opposite way as Bulma scrambled to pick each magazine up. Goku walked over to the pile and picked one up at random, Bulma could see the look of concern on his face.

"How sad, these girls don't have any clothes. They must be really poor."

"They aren't poor Goku! Now gimme' that!" She snatched the magazine from his hands and shredded it "Ugh, my father is such a pig."

Goku was slightly disappointed that whatever they needed to get the dragon ball wasn't in the capsule but decided diving for it might be worth a try.

"Maybe the water isn't too deep. I think I'll try to swim for it and if I can't get it then we'll go to Master Roshi and see if he has one." Goku untied his power pole and tossed it over to Gohan "Here take this in case any of those Red Ribbon people show up around here, I've got a funny feeling about this place. Oh and don't worry I shouldn't be gone too long."

Gohan waved goodbye as Goku flew off into the distance.

Bulma had finally shredded the last magazine in her father's massive collection "C'mon Jack let's go see if there are any people on this island. Maybe there will be a store that sells capsules and we can get a submarine that way."

Gohan tied the pole around his back "Bulma I don't know if that's the best idea. The Red Ribbon Army are some really bad guys and I don't really want to put you in any unnecessary danger."

"Oh puh-lease, like these Red Ribbon people even have anything anywhere near as accurate as my dragon radar."

Gohan reluctantly followed Bulma as she led them into the forests of the island. Eventually coming upon a clearing they both heard the distinctive whirring of helicopter blades before being shot at as soon as they were visible. Gohan grabbed onto Bulma and threw her into a nearby ditch. Being mindful that he couldn't just fly and disable the helicopters himself he decided to use the power pole, after all, he had never gotten the chance before. He ran towards the incoming gunfire and leaped into the air

"Powerpole extend!"

The red pole grew to twelve times its normal size and Gohan used it to swat the choppers from the air sending them crashing into the island below.

He landed a little ways off from where the two vehicles now burned and saw that one of the two pilots had escaped but was passed out on a nearby patch of grass. Gohan walked over and saw the Red Ribbon's iconic logo printed onto its side. Seeing it frustrated him but did not surprise him, he took off the helmet and walked back over to Bulma who still was covering her head unaware that the battle was over.

"Sorry about that but you see what I'm talking about?" he held the helmet out in front of him with the ribbon clearly visible "This is the Red Ribbon Army's logo and those two helicopters were probably a scouting party. Goku and I have run into them more than a couple of times on our search for the dragon balls. I took a look on the radar a while back and they seem to be collecting them too, most likely for something awful."

Bulma took the helmet and threw it on the ground "Well, in that case, we can't let that happen. Who know's what they'll wish for."

The two were surprised as Goku reappeared and jumped off the nimbus cloud that was still mobile.

"Is everybody ok? I came back as soon as I heard the explosions." Goku asked anxiously

Gohan calmly responded, "Yeah everything's fine Goku we just ran into some Red Ribbon scouts, were you able to get the dragon ball?"

Goku rung out one of his soaked spikes of hair as he explained "No the water is definitely too deep, I think we'll have to go to Master Roshi's after all."

Bulma wasn't thrilled about the idea but had a newfound desire to help the boys especially if she could be the key factor in whether or not they got the dragon ball. "Alright guys let's get there quick. If the Red Ribbon Army is as dangerous as you say they probably have more troops on the way here."

The group quickly got onto the cloud and made there way over to Master Roshi's house which was conveniently not very far from the island. Goku felt an unusual calmness as they approached the island almost as if Master Roshi's place was his home away from home. They all stepped off from the cloud as they reached Roshi's little pink house. Turtle was overjoyed to see them.

"Oh boy what a treat! You guys came at the perfect time, Master Roshi is just finishing his aerobics now."

Goku walked up the front steps of the porch and opened the screen door to see the turtle hermit with his eyes glued to his tiny television

"Hey Master Roshi!"

The old man quickly turned off the tv "Oh..uh Goku, what a pleasant surprise. Please do knock before entering the house. These ladies' techniques are very intriguing and I am studying them to learn some new moves if you know what I mean hehe."

Goku didn't understand what he was talking about but could tell nothing important was going on "Bulma, Jack, you guys can come in." he let out a giggle "I don't think he's very busy."

Roshi scrambled to make himself presentable "Goku d-did you say Bulma?"

Gohan and Bulma walked in, shutting the screen door behind them. Knowing how the old man could be around beautiful women she decided she was going to be direct and upfront with him

"Hey Master Roshi long time no see. Say you wouldn't happen to have a submarine capsule would you?"

The turtle hermit swooned, he hadn't seen Bulma since the tournament and he took note of how exceptionally pretty she seemed today.

"Oh of course but you know I can't just give it out for free... Perhaps if you gave me something in return I could lend you it hm?"

Goku seemed upset "Aw but master we really need it, we're going after a dragon ball that's too deep underwater."

Roshi was surprised when he looked over at Gohan. He thought for sure he would have returned to his own time by now and he realized that collecting the dragon balls was his way out of here. He reluctantly decided this was probably a little more important than his desire to get a date with Bulma.

"Oh alright you can take the submarine as soon as Krillin and Launch get back from their shopping trip, they used it to get into town. It could take a while so in the meantime feel free to enjoy the island, it's not very big but it sure is beautiful."

Bulma saw some promise in the old mans words, since going back to the city she thought she grew a little paler every day and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to get in a good tan. Goku and Gohan decided that splash fighting in the water and building sandcastles would be how they passed the time. Eventually, the two were joined by Bulma who couldn't resist the childish fun she only could experience with Goku around.

The hours passed quickly and before they knew it they saw the submarine in the distance. Goku was puzzled as the submarine flew through the air and landed on the back half of the island. He nudged Gohan "Hey Jack isn't that an airplane how is it supposed to go underwater?"

Gohan knew that most of capsule corps machinery had multiple purposes and explained "Yeah I think it works both as a submarine and an airplane Goku."

Goku gawked "Oh wow that's amazing. And we don't have to hold our breath?"

Gohan shook his head no which brought a massive grin to Goku's face. Seeing his father get so giddy over a simple submarine brought a smile to Gohan's face

Krillin and Launch exited the vehicle carrying multiple bags of groceries but both recognized Goku's distinctive voice as he called out to them

"Hey guys, it's so good to see you both!"

Krillin nearly dropped his bags and ran over to Goku, it felt like ages since he'd seen him. He excitedly walked up to Goku but struggled to look at him as the bags he carried obstructed his vision "Hey it's great to see you Goku but what are you doing here?"

Bulma had set up a map with the coordinates already marked on it inside the house "Bring the groceries inside Krillin and we'll show you."

Everyone headed inside and Bulma explained the situation to them. Krillin was particularly interested in the area where the dragon ball was located. Roshi could see the desire for adventure in the boy's face and could tell what he was going to ask.

"Hey master isn't that nearby the missing pirate's treasure you told me about?"

The old turtle hermit cleared his throat and attempted to spin his tale with as much entrigue as possible "Ah yes, legend tells of a secret treasure lost beneath the ocean waves during a massive battle between two legendary bands of pirates. Whoever can find this treasure is said to become richer than all their wildest dreams."

Those words were enough to convince Bulma they had to find the treasure "How exciting, what do you guys say we look for the treasure while also looking for the dragon ball? I mean it couldn't hurt could it?"

Krillin excitedly asked "Do you guys think I could come? I've been hoping for a little break in my training."

Goku was excited that his adventure seemed to bring all of his friends together once more. He felt it was destiny that Krillin was there with them "Sure Krillin you can come, we need all the help we can get!"

Roshi laughed as his house emptied out as fast as it filled up. He waited until everyone had cleared out except for Gohan. He tapped the boy's shoulder just before he could walk out the front door.

"So Gohan how are things going? Have you found whoever sent you to the past?"

Gohan was happy he could drop his facade even if it was just for a moment "Yeah I did, it's this guy named Dr. Gero and he's been sending androids to try and kill me. I'm hoping that after we collect all the dragon balls I can wish him and me back to the present but things are proving really difficult."

Gohan was surprised as Roshi seemed to change subjects "Still carrying that guilt with you I see. There's less of it but I can still feel your sadness. Your lucky Goku can't feel ki just yet because your emotions tell the whole story. You lost him didn't you?"

Gohan's lips quivered and he struggled not to break down right there. He couldn't believe he was already this close to tears especially because for the past few days he'd been proud of how well he'd kept his emotions in check. "Master Roshi I-"

"And you blame yourself don't you?"

He hugged Gohan who started to give in to the unavoidable tears. "It w-was all my fault."

"I know how it can be, losing a father. I lost mine twice, once was when my real father passed away. The second was when my teacher, the great Master Mutaito died fighting to save the world from an old forgotten foe. D-did Goku lose a fight to some powerful enemy?

Images of Cell's bloated body flashed through Gohan's mind "No he had to sacrifice himself because of my stupid mistakes!"

"Ah, I see. Gohan you can't blame yourself for making mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes especially in the heat of battle. You must learn as I did to let go of these negative feelings rather than bottle them up. The only way for you to find peace is to forgive yourself."

He patted the boys back as he calmed down "Now go, spend some time with your father and try to enjoy this little adventure. And don't let all your feelings be devoted to this Gero business; he'll still be here when you get back."


	20. Chapter 20: Strengthening Bond

Bulma had the sub ready to go, the engines were warm and oxygen tanks full, the only thing missing was one final passenger.

She screamed towards Kame House "Jack what's taking so long? Let's go!"

Gohan came running from the house and quickly took his seat in the cabin among his fellow explorers. "Sorry Bulma, Master Roshi needed to tell me something."

Relieved that they could finally get underway, Bulma sealed the hatch of the sub and began to lower the ship into the water.

Goku noticed Gohan's eyes were slightly red and his cheeks were flushed "Jack was Launch making something with onions? Your eyes are all red."

Gohan did his best to cover up any leftover emotion and replied in a nasally tone"No just allergies is all."

Light beams scattered and broke beneath the waves of the ocean as the sub took them further into the depths. The group observed through their glass orb of a cabin the vibrant green stocks of kelp and colorful beds of coral sprinkled across the ocean floor. The sea was overwhelmingly populated by massive schools of fish that swam rather lazily around the vessel as if they'd seen a million before it.

"This is amazing, I never knew so many fish could be in one place!" Goku exclaimed excitedly. His tail wagged and he pushed his face against the glass to better observe the great quantity of life surrounding him.

Krillin was in agreement "Yeah it's beautiful but you should have seen the sea a couple of weeks ago there were some migrating whales just a couple of yards off Master Roshi's island. If they stuck around I think it would be much prettier."

Bulma even took a moment to breathe in the beauty of the underwater landscape before refocusing in on finding the dragon ball "Goku hand me the dragon radar please."

Goku looked around the cabin but couldn't see the radar "Uh I don't think we have it."

Gohan reached into his shirt revealing the prized device "Yeah you left it by your backpack at Master Roshi's. I figured we would need it so I picked it up before I left."

She grit her teeth, angry at her own forgetfulness "Well that's just great, left the dragon balls then too."

Goku gasped "Wait when did you put the dragon balls in your bag Bulma?"

Her patience with the boy was wearing thin "You left them on the couch Goku!"

"Hehe, my bad" Goku said playfully.

Gohan handed her the radar and she turned it on. The screen indicated that they were quickly approaching the dragon ball but that it was much lower than they were. She gazed outside the front windshield and was confused, they were already on the ocean floor, how could the ball be any lower?

She switched on the radars 3d topographical mode and discovered that they were just above a massive cave and the dragon ball was located deep inside of it. Following the radar, she dove down the side of a massive dropoff which startled Krillin.

"Watch your driving Bulma, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Still reading the radar Bulma followed the side of the dropoff "Sorry Krillin but according to the radar, the dragon ball is inside an underwater cave. The cave is somewhere near this dropoff and I am trying to...there! That's it!"

The entrance to the cave revealed itself to be a massive circular opening surrounded by jagged, razor-sharp rocks. Just as they were about to enter the ominous opening, the shockwave of a massive explosion shook their little vessel. Bulma quickly rotated the ship and spotted a massive Red Ribbon military submarine approaching them.

Goku was immediately hostile "Ugh, its those stupid red ribbon guys! Bulma get us inside the cave quick!"

Bulma kicked the sub into high gear, shooting them passed the cave's opening. She switched on the front lights, illuminating the cave which grew narrower as they traveled deeper into it.

Gohan was the first to notice that two smaller Red Ribbon fighters had been dispatched and were closing in on them "Bulma can this thing go any faster because if it can't we're about to be in a lot of trouble!"

Just as he said that one of the ships rammed into the backside of their craft, terrifying everyone in the cabin. Gohan knew that he was in no danger if the cabin depressurized, he'd withstand far worse pressures than the deepsea but he knew no one other than himself would survive if it did. He closed his eyes and balled up in his seat as he tried not to focus on the mental image of his father or Krillin being crushed

_Don't think about it. Don't think about it_

He was suddenly enveloped by his fathers' familiar embrace "Don't worry Jack, Bulma's got us."

With a strong and determined voice, Bulma answered "Damn right I do! Hold on guys this is gonna get rough!" She then activated the machines overdrive, heating up the engines until the water around them steamed and bubbled wildly. They blasted forward and left the Red Ribbon subs in the dust.

She sped around the many sharp corners of the cave following exactly where the radar indicated they go. Without even thinking she flipped open a red button and smashed it which released the flares, sending them flying into different dead-end paths of the cave. A brilliant tactic she had devised to misdirect those thickheaded soldiers.

Glancing at the radar Bulma followed its final command which was to pull up which surfaced them inside of an underwater cave. She opened the hatch and hopped out, eager to lead the charge in search of the dragon ball. but the darkness of the cavern prevented her from doing so.

Krillin stepped wobbly out of the craft "Jeez Bulma next time I think it might be better to let me drive. Going at this rate I'll have high blood pressure by the time I'm twenty."

As Krillin gathered himself the two Red Ribbon subs emerged from the water and opened their hatches. A tall blond-haired and blue-eyed man stood from his vessel and commanded his troops open fire on them despite the lack of clear visibility. Goku quickly covered Bulma, who he considered to be the most brittle, and took charge of the situation.

"Go deeper into the cave, now!" he commanded, and the four ran blindly, further into darkness. They were barely able to run straight, only having a slight idea of where they were going thanks to the walls that carried some light from the muzzle flashes of the soldier's weaponry.

Goku covered everyone else, keeping an eye out for any soldiers who would dare cross his path but no one followed them. Goku noticed he hadn't heard any footsteps since the soldiers first stepped out of their subs and relaxed a little.

"I don't think their following us..."

Krillin was slightly agitated at this point, he hadn't realized that when he was coming along on the adventure there would be this much danger "How would you know Goku? Nobody can see a thing in all this darkness."

"Hey, Krillin are there supposed to be buttons in caves?" Goku asked puzzledly. He pressed the white button before the question could be answered and the cave was suddenly lit up by ancient incandescent lights.

Bulma was without words, she knew this whole thing seemed a little too complex for a simple dragon ball. Usually, they were in a field or on a mountain but a cave seemed far too unlikely. No, this was the cave of the hidden pirate's treasure.

"Guys do you know what this means!? This means the dragon ball is somewhere mixed in with the pirate's treasure! I mean what else could this scary cave be used for, am I right?"

Krillin was overwhelmed with excitement "Oh this is amazing! Now we'll just get the dragon ball, the treasure, and Goku'll beat those Red Ribbon soldiers!"

Those words stuck out to Gohan like a sore thumb

'Goku'll beat those Red Ribbon soldiers'.

As in just Goku. As in only Goku can handle these soldiers.

The modern-day monk would never have said something like that. He would say something like 'We'll take down those Red Ribbon guys together!' rather than verbally hide behind Goku.

It put things into perspective for him; Krillin was always emphasizing that they did things as a team and it was upsetting to not hear the same sentiment from him now. It made Gohan feel more displaced than usual and for the first time since he got to the past, he missed someone other than his father from the present.

They continued their way through the cave following the long line of flickering web covered lights. The rocky walls gradually smoothed into a pleasant offwhite limestone and the lights change to long strips of white fluorescent tubes not dissimilar to a dingy offices. There was a red line drawn sloppily across the floor that served as a warning from stepping any further. Believing this to be some sort of trap, Gohan observed the walls and floor in front of them closely and found that there were dozens of small hatches only about the size of a fist in diameter.

_These probably shoot some kind of spear or something out of them. Better tell the others._

"Hold on guys I think this is a trap. If we step on the floor passed the red line I think the walls will shoot something out at us."

Goku squinted at the floor, noting the hatches were slightly raised, he smiled as he looked at the opposite end of the corridor, it didn't seem too far away and looked to be constructed with a fine red brick rather than limestone, a clear indication of the traps conclusion.

"Hm, I think if we just jump across we should be fine. I don't think this trap lasts all the way to the brick."

He took a couple of steps back, got into a sprint and leaped across the booby-trapped hallway with ease. Krillin wasn't as eager to jump across as Goku but he reluctantly did so after some coaxing. As he landed he barely missed activating one of the floor's pressure plates thanks to Goku grabbing his feet before he could hit the floor.

"That was a close one, thanks Goku." Krillin said while catching his breath.

Bulma seethed with anger "Yeah you two can manage that but what about the rest of us hm? I don't think Jack and I can jump over fifty feet."

Gohan blushed as he interrupted her "Uh- I can...and I guess I could carry you if you need me to."

It was obvious she wasn't thrilled with the idea but she saw no other way "Fine Jack, just carry me across. I swear you three are not human."

Gohan lifted her with ease and jumped over to the other end of the hallway effortlessly. As soon as they landed he stood her up and she took out the radar leading the charge once again.

They cautiously continued through the hallway until it opened up into a massive underwater depot complete with a port that housed a massive battleship, the pirate's main facility to be sure.

The old ship, that was jerry-rigged with huge brass cannons and covered in different pirate-themed engravings, sat in the water alone, docked as it had been for decades.

Gohan could tell it showed signs of rusting but the ship itself seemed to carry a distinctly weary vibe, her sides were dented and she dipped slightly near the stern. It was obvious she had been through many battles and no doubt, if any of the pirate's descendants were still alive, they could tell some crazy tales about her history. He ended his gentle observation of the vessel as he sensed his father's tense ki, something was bothering him.

"Something's watching us...be careful guys I've got a funny feeling again."

The group circled around the depot and found a large green robot that looked to be just as rusty as the ship. They were all surprised as it activated and swiftly rolled over to them. It's cogs turning and engine running made the machine vibrate rapidly and unsettlingly. Goku didn't like the look of the robot, it didn't seem friendly and the cutlass it wielded didn't either. He blocked its sudden violent swing with his power pole.

"I knew you weren't a nice robot! Bulma, Krillin go get the dragon ball! Jack and I can handle this!"

Bulma and Krillin listened and ran out of the depot into a separate hallway, using the radar as their only guide.

The robot attempted to launch missiles at them but only managed to hit the massive support beams that held the facility together weakening the ancient structure's integrity. Goku and Gohan responded to its attacks with a flurry of kicks and punches, making short work of a robot that truthfully should have been deactivated ages ago.

"Great job Jack, now let's go get that dragon ba-"

The room began to shake as one of the beams near the ship gave out, dropping tons of debris onto the vessel, smashing through her brittle wooden deck.

Goku while struggling to keep his balance stammered out "Oh man this place is falling apart! We gotta find Bulma and Krillin quick!"

The two ran in the direction that they saw Krillin and Bulma, following the curved hallway they made their way to a corridor that divided into two paths, left and right, a dilemma to be sure but Gohan sensed that Bulma and Krillin's energies were off to the left somewhere. He also felt a significant drop in Krillin's power-level making his blood pump harder than it already was. His father had told him a few stories about when he was younger and mentioned that they had to revive Krillin with the dragon balls at one point but never said specifically when they did. Gohan decided he couldn't take the risk of letting Goku lead and started running towards the left.

As he ran he motioned back towards his father "C'mon Goku they're this way!"

"You sure?" Goku asked as he sprinted alongside him

"Definitely, they absolutely went this way!"

Goku heard the fear in his voice but trusted his sense of direction; for some reason, he couldn't explain yet, his gut agreed that Krillin and Bulma had gone left. The two ran side by side until they came upon a square pool leading into a portion of the cave flooded with water. Neither Gohan nor Goku bothered to stop and they eagerly leaped in, working to get to their friends as quickly as possible. When they entered the cave shook harder than it ever had before; a not-so-subtle indication that they were running out of time.

They swam as fast as they could in the abyss of freezing water. Gohan could sense where Bulma and Krillin were but he couldn't tell how to get to them. Spotting a faint light in the darkness he tapped on a barely visible Goku's shoulder and pointed over towards it. They approached the light which turned out to be a small rocky opening between two rocks. Both climbed through, stepping into a portion of the cave featuring a massive statue surrounded by lit candles.

Bulma screamed, "You just wait until Goku gets here you hear me?! You won't get away with this!"

Goku and Gohan treaded silently among the rocks that shielded them from the eyes of the blonde-haired man who was pointing his rifle at a bloody and bruised Krillin.

"Oh but I think I will, your friend may have been able to best Generals White and Silver but I, general Blue am far more competent than both of them combined. Now, tell me where the dragon ball is and I'll consider sparing you two."

Krillin found strength and in a broken voice spoke into Bulma's eyes "You know just as much as anyone Bulma he'll kill us anyway! Don't tell him anything!"

Blue cocked back his rifle preparing to finish off his wounded adversary when he was slammed into the base of the statue by Goku.

"Goku!" both Bulma and Krillin yelled excitedly.

"Jack get the dragon ball we don't have much time! I'll deal with this guy!

Gohan ran over to Bulma and she quickly handed him the radar. He turned it on ran to another pool of water, he was upset he'd have to swim for it

_Things never can be easy, can they?_

He jumped in the pool and dove downwards, as he pushed further, the radars topographical mode deactivated and began flashing a bubbled red text

**fifteen meters...**

**twelve meters...**

**six meters...**

**one meter...**

Gohan searched the environment, he was surrounded by countless treasures and jewels that glistened in the darkness. Mountains of gold covered every inch of the underwater cavern but he couldn't care any less, he had come for only one item.

He spotted a slight orange radiance beneath a stone, he lifted it and revealed the dragon ball. Its magical orange glow was a comforting familiarity. He was thrilled to have it and packed the three-star-ball safely into his gi.

When he resurfaced Krillin and Bulma were nowhere to be found but Goku seemed to be finishing up his battering of General Blue. Gohan ran over to his father revealing the three-star-ball, his excitement faded as he saw the disappointment in Goku's eyes, their search for his grandfather's ball would have to continue.

The cave was showing serious signs of collapse, the statue that once stood strong in the center of the room now crumbled from the massive quakes that shook everything around it. Goku and Gohan raced back the way they came and resubmerged into the caves underwater section. They made their way through the black waters that grew more dangerous in their absence. Jaded rocks and massive boulders dropped at random from the ceiling of the cave threatening to block their way back into the main facility but neither boys determinations wavered and they pressed on.

They both climbed out of the square pool completely soaked from head to toe and began running back towards the depot, as they ran the brick walls began to crumble and the ceiling collapse behind them. A mess of electricity arced across the hall as the cabling was ripped from the walls and both were in a full-on sprint. Gohan could tell Goku was getting tired but was amazed as he ran ahead of him, it seemed as if when his stamina gave out his spirit took over to carry him to the finish line. Gohan quickened his pace, being mindful of not going to fast, at least not yet, the only way he would go any faster than his father is if he absolutely had to and he knew they weren't at that point yet.

They both barely made it into the depot before the hallway collapsed behind them. The ship that once rested in her port was now completely crushed and mangled by fallen debris and the beams that held the massive room up were crumbling like paper. Goku and Gohan ran over to the port where they saw Krillin and Bulma piloting an old pirates submarine, they hopped into the craft and strapped themselves in.

"Where have you two been!? We thought you guys were crushed!" Bulma screamed as she threw the sub into its highest gear and began to speed towards the cave's secondary exit. With every moment that passed, more and more of the cave collapsed clouding the crystal clear water with thick mud. They barely managed to exit the mouth of the cave before the whole thing imploded. A mass of muck and dust exploded from the cave polluting the water surrounding it. The shockwave from the blast was so powerful that it shot their old submarine straight to the ocean's surface.

The cabin was filled with audible relief, everyone was exhausted from this unexpectedly dangerous adventure. Bulma slouched in her chair and let go of the controls for a moment, running her fingers through her hair she decided she didn't mind the monotony of the city, it was better than risking her life twenty more times on another adventure for the dragon balls

"Ok Goku, you may have been right. I think I may slow you two down a little, I was not expecting today to be as dangerous as it was. Those Red Ribbon guys are nuts, I mean ramming one of their own ships into ours, that's crazy!"

Goku chuckled "Yeah, they are pretty mean huh?"

"Mean is an understatement Goku, they're downright evil. They are the most feared for-hire military in the world for a reason" Krillin lectured.

The monk straightened his clothing and dusted himself off "Count me out on your next adventure too. I like not being flattened into a pancake thank you very much."

A little surprised by how shaken the two seemed to be by the events, Goku found himself a little disappointed he wouldn't be sharing their company as he continued his journey.

Bulma switched on the subs cruising mode and they slowly made their way back to Roshi's island. She didn't notice it before but the machine was extremely dated and had trouble maintaining its course at a proper speed, she wasn't surprised though, the machine was decades old and it was a miracle it ran at all.

They landed upon Roshi's golden shoreline and crawled out of the craft. Gohan sat close to the water and observed the sun. He figured they had a couple of hours of daylight left, more than enough time to get underway towards the next dragon ball and set up camp. Goku crawled over and sat beside him.

"Do you miss your home Jack?" Goku asked

Gohan was startled by the question "Not really, why?"

"I was just wondering because I'm sure your mom misses you and I don't want you to feel like you have to keep coming with me on this adventure to find my grampa's ball. If it's getting too dangerous for you and you want to go home then don't feel bad, you can tell me."

He could see his father meant every word but Gohan couldn't be happier anywhere else in the world. Honestly, the last thing he wanted to do was go home, he felt like he could go on these dangerous ventures forever if he could continue on them with his father.

"I don't want to go home Goku, not yet anyway. Plus, I think we've already been through too much together to just give up now." He smiled as he reached into his shirt and handed over the three-star ball to Goku "We're over a third of the way done anyways."

Goku cupped the ball in his hands for a moment and examined it before stuffing it away inside of his gi. Relieved that his journey wouldn't continue alone, Goku felt extremely grateful for Gohans dedication to their quest. He had never felt that he could be as close to someone as his grandfather but found Gohan to feel more and more like family as each day passed. He leaned in for a hug and looked into Gohan's rich brown eyes which were identical to his own, full of light and goodness. Goku squeezed him tightly like long lost family, in his mind he was sure they were brothers even if they might not be related.

"You're my best friend Jack. Thank you."


	21. Chapter 21: Making A Killing

Gohan hugged him back, his father's ki which radiated with warmth and compassion, but the most notable feeling was love.

Without even waiting a second he instinctively responded "You're my best friend too."

Goku smiled "Really? I am?"

"You're the best friend I've ever had." Gohan said

Any normal kid would be embarrassed if their father was their best friend but Gohan didn't considered himself normal, at least not completely, not since he was four. He actually felt some semblance of pride in how strong of a bond they shared, at least before the Cell games...

He buried the memories and focused back on the present, he refused to let this moment be ruined by his guilty conscience.

Bulma who was still recovering from her near-death experience just minutes ago waddled away from Krillin and over to Goku exhaustedly.

"So I take it you two will be off here shortly. Lotta' work getting those dragon balls."

"They're not going anywhere!" Roshi yelled as he exited his island home. He took his time, adding dramatic effect as he used his stick to set his ever-slow pace.

"Not without this." He placed Bulma's backpack down in front of them. "You never told me you were leaving the dragon balls here! I had to deal with an entire battalion of Red Ribbon soldiers who claimed not only that I had the dragon balls, but that I created the dragon radar too."

Goku looked around the beach that was noticeably empty of any signs of battle "Where'd they all go master?"

"Oh, I showed them what happens when you mess with the turtle hermit. After a mean bruising, they got into their helicopters and scurried off. Quite impressive wouldn't you say Bulma?..." said Roshi as he stroked his beard, raising his brow suggestively towards the girl.

She was in no mood for any of his antics, especially after the day she's had "Don't get any funny ideas old man!"

Roshi nervously laughed "R-relax, I was j-just kidding" He let her cool off before speaking again "Now on to the matter at hand, seeing as you two do have some daylight left where will you be going?"

Krillin walked over and waited anxiously for Goku's reply.

Goku looked at Gohan and noticed his purple gi was torn quite badly near his knees and around his left shoulder, he suddenly had an epiphany "I think Jack and I will head back to my grampa's house, at least for today."

"Really what are you guys gonna do there?" Krillin asked, he was curious about their journey but not curious enough to join in, this undersea expedition was more than enough to quench his thirst for adventure.

"I think Jack needs a change of clothes and I have one of my old gi's back at Grampa's. I'm also starving and there are some really tasty fish near the house."

Krillin sighed "Goku is there ever a time when you're not thinking of food"

While Goku said his goodbyes to Krillin Gohan made the effort to step away from the group to talk to Master Roshi.

Seeing that the others couldn't hear them, Roshi spoke "See? Some adventure makes you feel better doesn't it Gohan?"

Gohan smiled "Yeah it does. Thanks, Master Roshi."

"It's my pleasure and if you ever need to find me I'll be right here, that is if you can manage to escape from Goku. Such a strange young boy, I've never seen someone who cared more about people than your father."

He patted the boy's shoulder and walked over to Goku "Now Goku if we don't see each other again just remember the next world tournament is in the next three years on May seventh. If you forget just drop by and I'll remind you."

Goku giggled "Don't worry master I'm sure we'll see each other long before then."

The turtle hermit turned to walk back to his home, he waved behind him as he spoke: "Good luck to the both of you boys! Find those dragon balls!"

Goku nodded and turned to call for the nimbus but hesitated; He remembered that Bulma had no way off the island. Before getting the chance to ask her she already prepared a response.

"Don't worry Goku, I'll swindle a boat off Master Roshi. He didn't say anything but I could tell he was staring at my watch since I first got here. Who knows, with a little extra charm, he might even give me an airplane."

"Ok Bulma, it was really great getting to see you. Hopefully, we see each other again soon!" he said and then called upon his trusty cloud.

The pair waved goodbye to their friends and started off on their adventure once more

They traveled north at a steady but slow and relaxed pace. Dusk came and went leaving the two beneath the night's sky that was illuminated by the bright stars of distant galaxies. Beneath their cloud, the sea was calm and created a silence that radiated far and wide. The gentle hum of the nimbus was their only source of sound, it acted as a lullaby, attempting to coax the boys into rest. Neither Gohan nor Goku gave in to its soothing sound and kept up conversation to entertain themselves, that was until the radar pinged.

Goku took the device out from the backpack and activated it, two of the dragon balls seemed to have been gathered up in the west and a third was stationary just a few miles north of the others. Gohan knew that could only mean one thing.

"Goku those dragon balls must be the ones the Red Ribbon Army has! And that third one is close by, don't you think we should hurry?"

Goku seemed at ease and gently placed the radar back in the bag "Nah it's ok, they don't have a dragon radar anywhere near as good as Bulma's. We can stop at Grampas, get you a new gi, relax for a day or two and then get goin'. Sound good?"

"Y-yeah" Gohan said, he wasn't thrilled about not heading straight for the dragon ball but Goku was right, his gi had really taken a beating and he needed a new one.

It was just as the sun rose above the horizon when they came upon Mount Pouzu. The forests erupted with the sounds of birds and insects as all the creatures excitedly awoke.

Ecstatic to finally be back home, Goku jumped off the cloud as soon as they were above his little hut. Landing by the front door he was pleased to see that no ivy or moss had grown over any of the brick and the house looked more or less in pristine condition. Gohan peered into the hut and was surprised, it was incredibly clean. Cleanliness had never been his father's forte but perhaps he kept it this way to honor his grandfather. He waited patiently as Goku sifted through a small dresser and took out a blue gi with red wristbands and a white sash belt.

"Grampa made this one extra special for me. He said that it's made from super strong cloth and that he'd never seen any gi made of it rip. I was a little younger when he made it for me but he made it bigger so I would grow into it." He handed the neat pile of clothes over to Gohan "Here Jack, it's yours."

"Goku I don't think-" he stuttered before being interrupted

"Don't feel bad, I want you to have it. I kinda like Master Roshi's orange gis more anyway."

Gohan reluctantly took the clothing and slipped into the outfit, it was by far the most comfortable and best-fitting gi he'd ever had. He even liked the red wristbands, they seemed distinctively unique and complimented the blue nicely.

"Yeah! You look just like me when I first met Bulma!" Goku stated proudly before exiting the hut.

Gohan smiled, he was happy to hear that. He'd always loved it when someone said he looked like his father because his father was strong and it made him feel strong too. He followed Goku and the two exited the home being careful to leave everything as neat as possible.

Goku took a moment and circled the house's perimeter looking for any minute changes in the environment but found none. It was identical to the way it was before like he'd never left.

The two spent the rest of the day fishing and hiking through the woods, Goku couldn't help tell hundreds of stories about his trips with his grandfather in the surrounding lands. Gohan listened to each story closely, he hadn't heard any of them since he was just a little kid and was happy to have his memories refreshed.

The next morning arrived quickly and the two were off once again on the nimbus cloud, speeding west towards the dragon ball that luckily, still remained out of Red Ribbon hands. The journey was hardly a few hours and before noon the two were just minutes away from the dragon balls location.

Korin Tower appeared before them and so did the cries of someone in desperate need of help. The two spotted a Red Ribbon jet circling the tower. They saw its pilot was holding onto a small native boy and was screaming unintelligibly into the forest below.

"Goku he's gonna drop him!" Gohan struggled to keep on the cloud, he wanted desperately to fly over and rescue the child himself but he couldn't not without exposing himself.

"No he's not!" Goku said and closed the distance with the plane. The cheeta pilot screamed like a little girl when he saw him, he had heard the countless stories of the two unstoppable boys dismantling the Red Ribbon Army piece by piece. He quickly took out his pistol and fired at the two. Gohan blocked a few of the bullets before hopping onto the plane. He picked up and threw the child over to Goku. The cheeta was now unloading magazine after magazine into Gohan yet his efforts proved fruitless. Gohan opened up the cockpit and pulled the pilot's ejection lever sending him flying upwards into the air. Gohan then jumped back onto the nimbus and the three landed at the base of the tower. The child wailed and ran over to his father and hugged his leg.

The man knelt down, placed the four-star ball on the ground and comforted the boy "There, there Upa. You are safe now, thanks to these kind strangers."

Goku was overjoyed, he could hardly contain himself as he picked up the ball "Grampa's ball! Jack, can you believe it? We finally found grampa's dragon ball!"

" I take it this 'dragon ball' was important to your grandfather?" the man asked inquisitively

Goku stared at the ball that gleamed in the sunlight "Yeah, he left it to me before he died."

"Considering the Red Ribbon Army attacked my son and I over it, what makes this ball so special?" the man asked

Goku was happy to explain the legend of the dragon balls, he rarely got to tell the tale and this was the perfect chance to do so. "Well there are seven balls and when you gather all of them up the eternal dragon Shenron comes out. I don't know how he fits in them but my friend Bulma told me it was magic, anyway when he comes out he will grant you one wish. It can be whatever you want! My friend Oolong wished for underwear the first time we summoned the dragon." he laughed remembering how Oolong claimed they were the most comfortable pair he'd ever owned.

"Ah, I see why the army would be after the dragon balls then." the man said softly, deep in thought.

Goku placed the ball on the left side of his gi, keeping it close to his heart. He looked into the sky observing how endlessly tall this tower seemed to be "I was wondering what is that big pole sticking out of the ground for?"

"This is The Korin Tower, it is a sacred landmark of my people and I live here in order to guard it. There is a legend that says if you climb the tower and reach the top unaided then you will meet the noble guardian. He will offer you a cup of sacred water and once you drink from it your abilities will multiply ten times over."

Gohan nudged Goku "What do you think Goku, think we can climb it?"

Goku gazed up at the tower once more, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand "Well we'd get a lot stronger right?... Let's try it!"

Goku barely touched the tower before his stomach started rumbling and the man took notice

"I see you are hungry. Why don't you join Upa and me for lunch? Then you and your friend can attempt the climb." he paused and saw the boys reluctancy to accept his offer "Please I insist, it is the least I can do for you after you saved my son."

Goku and Gohan decided rejecting his gracious offer would be beyond rude and so they agreed to stay for lunch. The two were then seated on wooden stumps around a moderate-sized campfire. While the man readied what was going to be venison stew he told them his name was Bora and he was the guardian of the land just like his father and his father before him. He explained that his family had been there for generations, they have seen many attempt the climb but none were able to come even close to the top. The challenge excited Goku who became more eager to climb after hearing Bora's story.

The meal was fantastic, the venisons flavor was enhanced by the multitude of spices and aromatics added to the stew and each bowl was served with a honey wheat roll.

After filling their bellies the two waited a few minutes before deciding to start their climb, they got up close to the tower and climbed up the first few feet before seeing a massive column crash into the ground.

The column was followed by a man who landed by the tips of his toes gracefully on top of it. He wore a pink outfit with long blue sleeves and carried a slightly annoyed expression. Spotting his target he smiled and looked Goku in the eyes "Pleased to kill you!"

Bora was furious, not only had he desecrated the sacred land surrounding the tour but the column had nearly slammed into his son "What are you doing! You nearly hit us!"

The man walked down the sloped cylinder "Well that's kind of the idea, I am a hitman after all."

He straightened his shirt and wiped what little dust there was from the landing off of his pants "I am mercenary Tao and do not worry I am not here for you or your son. I am here for the spiky-haired boy. The Red Ribbon army had dispatched me to tie up some loose ends."

The native man gripped his spear tightly "You will do no such thing. If you want the boy then you will have to go through me first!"

"Bora don't!" Goku screamed

Bora lunged, spear first at Tao. Before Gohan or Goku had any time to intervene Tao had already turned the spear and plunged it deep into Bora's heart. The large native man fell onto the floor like a pile of bricks.

"Daddy!" Upa cried as he began to run towards his father.

Gohan recognized that cry, it was one of complete helplessness and desperation. His mind flashed back to the cell games, his memories flooded in with a vengeance and filled him with overwhelming guilt. Tears rolled down his cheeks, he looked in horror as Upa shook his father's limp body that oozed blood from its fatal wound. If only he knew what Tao was planning in that split second of time he could have stopped it. If only he knew what Cell was planning in that brief moment after spitting out eighteen he could have stopped it.

Goku could see the situation was deteriorating and while still looking at Tao he yelled back at Gohan "Jack get Upa out of here! Run into the forest now!"

Gohan was in no emotional position to argue, he scooped Upa up and ran blindly into the forest.

"Well that was eventful... I suppose I struck a nerve with your friend, Jack was his name? Yes, I definitely struck a nerve of his. Anyway now that we are alone I think this is the perfect time to collect my bounty. You'll make me some mighty fine zeni."

Tao charged forward and with a few kicks and punches sent Goku flying backward and colliding with the tower. Believing that he had already finished the job, Tao began to approach the boy to collect his dragon balls. He was surprised as Goku stood back up, rubbing the back of his head.

"Ow that hurt!" Goku said irritatedly

"W-what kind of child are you? I've crippled seven-foot-tall men with fewer attacks!"

"Oh yeah? Well, it's my turn now!" Goku said as he brought back his hands "KA-ME-HA-ME-HA!"

The blinding blue wave encompassed the entire form of Tao, it was exactly what Goku needed, a direct hit. As the dust from the blast cleared he saw the rather scrawny mercenary standing with his arms crossed, covering his face. Tao's shirt was obliterated and his pants were practically ripped into shorts.

"You...You ruined my outfit! Do you know how long getting another one of these made takes?"

"Y-You're still standing?" Goku asked nervously

The mercenary didn't bother to respond, he was far too enraged by the destruction of his robe to do so. "DODON RAY!"

The beam of red light hit Goku square in the chest sending him flying back into the dirt.

Tao was sure that attack had finished him off. He breathed a sigh of relief, this child, a mere boy, was clearly a prodigy, showing more promise than any other target he had been given thus far. He smirked as he approached Bulmas backpack.

_Given a few more years and that kid could have actually been a threat. Good thing I was hired to deal with him now._

He looted the bag and took the three dragon balls, he attempted to stuff them in his pockets and remembered he no longer had any. He sighed, his robe being ruined was a massive inconvenience and one that needed rectifying immediately. He lifted his column up, threw it, then landed on it in mid-air. It flew extremely fast making his exit almost as brief as his introduction.

Gohan set Upa down, he fought to keep his emotions in check because he knew he needed to go back and help his father.

"Please s-stay here ok Upa? I need to go help Goku."

Upa nodded and waited until Gohan was a couple of feet in front of him before following behind him, he crept close to the ground attempting to be as silent as possible while he made his way back to Korin tower.

Gohan emerged from the forest and found Goku laying on the ground, he was bruised and unconscious but alive. Gohan looked at the hole on the left side of his father's gi and saw the four-star ball peeking out from it, whatever had hit him had been blocked by the ball.

It didn't take long for Goku to wake back up, he propped his torso up with his hands and the ball fell out of his shirt

He picked it up and placed it into the other side of his gi "Man that was way to close if I didn't have grampa's ball that attack could have really hurt me"

Gohan extended his hand to help Goku up, his offer was eagerly accepted. Goku grit his teeth as a pain in his chest became apparent, he looked at his chest and saw a big blue bruise where the dodon ray hit the dragon ball.

Upa suddenly appeared from the brush and ran over to Goku "Goku you're ok!"

Gohan was irritated, the boy had disregarded his command but given the circumstances he understood, probably better than anyone, that Upa needed to be here right now.

Gohan opened up the backpack to find it completely empty "Goku, bad news, Tao took the dragon balls."

Goku patted his chest lightly as to not upset the bruising "Yeah but he still needs Grampa's ball. I bet he's gonna be pretty mad when he finds out he'll have to come back to get it hehe."

Gokus laughter was short-lived as he saw Upa began to dig a grave for his father. The three dug the hole together but let Upa cover up his father himself. Goku couldn't stand to see Upa's depressed expression and made the decision right then and there, he would collect the dragon balls, summon the eternal dragon and bring Bora back to life.

"Don't be sad Upa. Remember the dragon balls grant you one wish? Jack and I will get back our dragon balls and finish collecting the rest, once we do we'll use them to bring your dad back to life!"

Upa's face lit up "You really think you can do that Goku!?"

Goku responded in a deadly serious tone "Yes but we'll need to climb the tower first. That guy was way too strong for me and the only way we can beat him is if we meet the guardian at the top and drink that sacred water. You up to it Jack?"

"No Goku, someone's gotta stay here to protect Upa in case that Tao guy comes back before you do."

Goku nodded "Right. Well be safe you two, I'll try and be back as soon as I can. Oh and Jack here's my power pole in case you need it"

Gohan caught the pole and watched as Goku ran up to the tower and began to vigorously climb it. Within moments he had already scaled a significant portion and was becoming difficult to see.

It was odd but Gohan actually felt kind of relieved that they had to use the dragon balls to revive Upa's father. He enjoyed being with his father again and waiting an entire year before going back to the present sounded really good to him, perhaps a little too good.

Midday came and went, along with dusk and the sunset, leaving Goku climbing the tower in the darkness of night. The climb itself wasn't too difficult, he'd climbed much more dangerous cliff-faces before and the marble of the tower made it easy to grip onto. The real struggle was the battle with hunger and sleep, both of which he lacked. Refusing to give up, he relied on sheer willpower to continue to scale the tower.

_I won't give up! I will meet this guardian and get the sacred water. Upa's depending on me._

Dawn eventually came and Goku was tapped, his pace had slowed to a crawl and every movement was complete agony. He hugged the tower and decided to take a breather, how long it would last, he didn't know, but he knew he needed a break. Using one hand to block the early morning sun he looked up the tower expecting to see nothing but more of the same.

He couldn't believe his eyes, he could see the top, with newfound determination he climbed rapidly until he reached the outward extending platform. He gripped the platform and lifted himself onto it, entering the first floor of Korins Tower.

_Phew, I finally made it._

He stood on his exhausted legs and searched the room, finding only three covered pots as furnishing. He walked over to investigate the pots when a mysterious voice met him

"Don't touch those pots Goku."

"Who said that?" Goku looked around him and saw no one "Are you the guardian?"

The voice began again "I am, and if you climb up the stairs through the door on your left you'll find me."

Goku did as instructed and climbed the short staircase up to the second floor. The entire platform was bare except for metal fencing that surrounded it, a preventative measure to stop anyone from falling off.

"Hello? Where are you?" Goku asked while searching the empty floor. He suddenly felt a small tap on his arm

"I'm right here."

Goku turned to face the legendary guardian expecting someone of great size and strength but he was instead met by an old white cat. The feline was much larger than a normal housecat, Goku reckoned he was roughly the size of Krillin except with a little extra weight. He carried a stick in his right hand and smiled at the boy

"I enjoyed your climb Goku, very, very well done."


	22. Chapter 22: Similar In Theory

Upa stared up at the tower from the inside of his small tee-pee, he pictured the struggle Goku was facing as he scaled it. The aches and pains from climbing for so long must be taking a toll on his new friend, he longed for that sense of determination and will to do what is necessary. He wished that he had the strength and bravery to face Tao himself and was frustrated he would have to put his faith in almost complete strangers. As he exited the tent he took notice of Gohan who was also looking upwards at the tower.

"It's well carved Upa, I've never had the chance to look at the tower up close before and the engravings are so beautiful." He kept a hand on the tower as he circled it. From what he could see the base of the tower detailed with the many faces of old chieftains.

"You've seen Korin tower before?" Upa asked surprisedly.

Gohan cursed himself for his inability to keep his mouth shut. He figured he'd try and answer but attempted to keep it vague "Well I mean my dad told me stories about it from when he came here a long time ago and he gave me a sense of what it would look like."

"Oh..." Upa said.

Gohan stopped and pointed to one chief that seemed to jump out at him. The old man's face was long with a square jaw and a cleft chin. His manly features were reinforced by a long scar that dragged from his upper forehead down to his lower lip on the left side of his face. The only piece that betrayed this warrior persona was the man's eyes, they were soft and stared back at him with a strange gentleness.

"Who's this Upa?"

Upa walked over and stood on his toes, he could hardly make the details out on the face but the scar was enough to identify him "That is Yaiba, he was a mighty warrior in his younger days but a wonderful storyteller as he grew older. My dad told me that he would sit with his brothers and listen to the old man's tales of those who came to climb the tower. He said that many of them came for very selfish reasons like impressing girls or to try and take whatever treasure the guardian might have."

Gohan's gaze drifted from the chieftain over to Upa "Have you ever thought about climbing the tower?"

"M-me...no, no I couldn't I'm scared of heights." Upa ashamedly stated

Gohan remembered when Piccolo had first dropped him into the wilderness and how he managed to get himself stuck on top of a platau on the first day "That's ok when I was younger I was scared of heights too. Whenever I got into any place even remotely high up I broke down and started crying."

"How did you get over your fear then?" Upa asked

Gohan thought back to the six months of survival on his own, he had forgotten many of the struggles he once faced but remembered the sense of loneliness he felt throughout the entire experience. When Piccolo came back to train him he felt genuinely happy, he lacked any human connection for so long that the constant beatings and minor small talk were a welcome change from isolation. Of course, as his training progressed and he grew stronger it was less beating and more sparring, even the small talk turned into a more personal conversation as the once Demon King became his master and friend.

"I had a good teacher."

* * *

The two spent the day roaming around avoiding the camp at the base of the tower. Gohan understood why Upa wanted to stay away considering his father was buried just a couple of yards from their home. The little boy showed Gohan the different paths and rivers of the land. He pointed out numerous different holy areas that his people, which were once more numerous, safeguarded. Gohan listened intently to Upas stories They reluctantly had to return to the camp for dinner as the day gave way to night.

Gohan struggled to roast an elk he had wrestled for them, burning the fat on the edges of the chop to a crisp and slightly overcooking the meat. Neither minded though, the roast was a fine alternative to going hungry.

Shortly after dinner while Upa was beginning to get ready for bed Gohan felt a queasiness overtake his stomach, he felt the androids unsettling ki once again. There seemed to be three approaching him but they were still a ways off, he was able to slip away once Upa retreated to his tent for the night.

He gathered some sap from a few nearby pine trees and made a makeshift torch. He held it firmly out in front of him as he walked through the forest.

It was quiet, not a noise to be heard from anywhere aside from the crunching leaves beneath his feet. He walked a few miles before he met the androids. They were all lined up side by side, shoulder to shoulder. The ill, looking Tien was up in front acting as the one in charge. Gohan could see in his peripheral vision Krillin on the left and Yamcha on the right.

Gohan intense stare was initially focused on the Tien machine, but he took quick glances at the other two. They looked healthier than Tien, the Krillin android actually carried the muscle mass that the real one had and looked almost identical to him. Gohan found it impossible to find any distinguishing feature aside from Krillin's emotionless face and empty eyes.

"You haven't attacked me yet." Gero said through the voice of Tien.

Gohan responded harshly "You haven't attacked me either."

Gero laughed ominously "I intend to shortly."

Gohan's hair turned golden and his eyes turquoise; he still found himself incapable of pushing himself to the next level, but he stayed confident. "Then go ahead, I'm ready."

Gero looked almost wistful as if his mind was in some faraway place "This will most likely be our last engagement Gohan. I've run the numbers and the odds of you beating these new machines are very low; I have developed numerous techniques that have increased both the durability and the strength of these new androids. They dwarf the old ones in terms of power and efficiency, a true force to be reckoned with." He paused showcasing the androids healthful looking skin and proper muscle mass.

"I must admit you have grown on me from our first meeting. That is from when your father was struggling with the heart virus he 'mysteriously' caught. Your will and determination in the face of overwhelming odds was and is most admirable, even now you prepare yourself against the inevitability of my victory."

"Nothing is inevitable Gero and you should know I don't intend on losing." Gohan said as he raised his ki and readied for the Doctor to make first move.

"Good, keep that defiant spirit strong! It will be the last thing my androids break!"

They all charged Gohan at once, Tien clearly lagging behind the others. Yamcha and Krillin were incredibly fast, getting in a couple of hard-hitting punches before Gohan had time to react. The battle took to the air and the three swarmed around him like wasps.

Gohan caught a break when Tien went for his neck, he grabbed the machine's arm and punched into his elbow, breaking the metal bones and ripping the appendage off entirely. His move did not go unpunished as a kamehameha from Yamcha ripped deeply into his left arm.

The pain from the wound radiated blood leaked rapidly, making Gohan light-headed and obstructing his focus. He decided a one on three wasn't going to work and focused on the trio's weakest link. He pushed through Krillin and Yamcha and managed to kick Tien's head right off of his shoulders. The bot's body disappeared into the darkness of night as it fell from the air.

Yamcha and Krillin doubled their efforts, both sending massive hits into Gohan's abdomen followed by a spinning kick that sent him flying into the forest below.

He pushed himself up from the small crater that the impact had made. He felt his cracked and broken ribs, the blood that spilled from his arm and fell onto his blue pants,staining them. His lungs burned as he struggled to gather the air he desperately needed, it was the most physical pain he'd ever felt and was almost unbearable. The two androids landed in front of him and seemed to hesitate, apparently Gero was giving him a chance to breathe.

He found his feet and defiantly stood in his fighting stance

while struggling to stay conscious. The hot searing pain in his arm and the stinging, pulsating pain in his ribs were the only things keeping him awake at that point. "Let's keep going, I-I'm not done yet..." he stammered out.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking since first bringing you to the past and I have come to the conclusion that you and I share far more than I originally thought. We both come from broken pasts; robbed of our childhood by retched, uncontrollable systems of circumstance. And we both were steeled by life's cruel disposition, finding strength where many others would find despair. In light of these realizations, I will do you one single kindness: After I kill you I won't erase you from existence by killing your father now. I will allow you to see your 'Daddy' in Otherworld."

"W-Wouldn't killing me in the past s-send me to the otherworld here?" Gohan asked despite the agonizing pain he felt from speaking.

"Ah, you see that was the first in a line of mysteries I had to solve. We are technically no longer objects in a timeline. We are no longer from the past nor the present so if you created a paradox, or if you parished here, then your body and soul will be ripped from this time and thrown back into the present regardless of any variable. However, once you are back in the present the impact you've made in the past will stick."

Gohan was surprised to say the least. He knew Gero hated him and his father but this sign of respect, of willingness to let him be and not wipe him from the fabric of time, it was the most human thing he'd heard ever from the doctor. He didn't say anything and used all the time Gero was willing to wait for him to catch his breath.

He used this minute's worth of time planning, he decided he'd go for Yamcha first considering his arms were slightly longer than his own which made trading blows harder, then he'd attempt to take on Krillin. In less than a second, he gathered as much energy as he could and threw his arms back

"KAMEHAMEHA!"

The blast caught Yamcha off-guard vaporizing the left half of the machine as only part of his body was able to avoid the blast. Gero's voice came from the Krillin android

"Tenacious little-" He was thrown back as Gohan punched and broke the machine's nose. Despite being extremely wounded somehow the boy had found the strength to keep going.

Gohans wounds oozed more blood, moving that quickly worsened their conditions. He winced as he covered his arm with his hand in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding. Seeing as the Android was still on the ground he opened a new dialogue with him "Y-you know Gero... you almost s-sound like... you don't want to kill me."

The Krillin android rose from the ground, apparently when Gohan broke its nose he also tore a piece of synthetic skin off as well. The intricate machinery was in full display, the many muscles of the human face perfectly intertwined with a mechanical endoskeleton. A robotic voice came from the machine, apparently the vocalizer had been damaged as well "You don't know what you're talking about boy. I am the perfect copy of Doctor Gero. He implanted every single memory meticulously and perfectly into my metal mind. He instilled in me, an irreversible hatred for both Son Goku and Son Gohan and therefore I must destroy you."

"Can't you see... you're not a perfect copy? Look at the past five minutes... you've talked to me... gave me a chance to catch my breath... I thought I even felt you pull a punch once or twice. The original Doctor Gero w-wouldn't do that."

Gero was surprised, was it pity that forced this compassion from his mortal enemy? Is it a ploy to get him to lower his guard? Could it be that the son of the man his creations murdered, that hehad tried to murder for so long actually cared about him? No, he refused to believe such foolish sentiments, it must be a trap. He decided against more conversation, he couldn't risk Gohan charging up another surprise attack.

Gero leaped forward kicking him to the ground, he bent over and punched Gohans stomach causing him to cough up more blood that inevitably fell back onto his own gi.

Deciding that the battle had gone on long enough he charged the killing blow. He fired a purple ki blast just inches away from the boy's chest. Gohan barely managed to throw himself to the side but not before the purple ball blew a hole straight through his kidney. The adrenaline kept him from feeling the pain and he shot a ki blast of his own towards Krillin's exposed circuitry which erupted his head into flames.

Bits of wire and circuitry shot around him and he breathed a sigh of relief knowing that this encounter was finished. He laid on his back looking up into the night's sky, he could tell his vision was narrowing as darkness crept in on the sides. There was no way he could stand in his condition so he forced himself to crawl. He dragged a crimson line across the forest grass, making it only a few feet before being forced to stop. He whimpered, the pain was too much for him, he leaned up against a mossy boulder and covered the wound on his stomach with his hands.

In his final moment of consciousness, he spoke into the night, hoping someone, his father, Piccolo, Krillin, Bulma, Yamcha or even Vegeta were somehow listening in. He wanted to say something, something important, but struggled to find the words. Instinctively the two most natural and heartfelt came to mind.

He breathlessly whispered "I-I'm sorry."

* * *

Goku threw himself from his mat, startling Korin who rested only feet away from him.

"Jeez, Goku you tryin' to give me a heart attack? Eight hundred years on this Earth and I die of fright from a twelve-year-old boy!"

He saw Goku run to the edge of the tower, somehow he'd sensed Gohan's diminishing ki far before Korin did.

"Master Korin somethings wrong I have to leave!"

The cat approached the edge, it was pitch black, no later than midnight.

Not wanting to give a name to what Goku was feeling he decided to play dumb "What's the matter Goku?"

"I don't know. I-it's Jack or Upa, one of them's in trouble!" Goku said while gripping onto the metal railing so tightly he nearly bent it.

There was no way Korin could allow Goku to see Gohan in whatever state he was in, his power was dropping way too fast for the sight to be anything pretty "Relax Goku, relax, you've already been up the tower twice, you're exhausted. I haven't taken a trip off my tower in oh...say five hundred years give or take a few, so I'll go take a look at whatever is bugging you."

Goku pleaded "But Master Korin I need to be down there too! There's this mean guy named mercenary Tao and he's-"

"I already know and I still believe you should stay here. It's not Tao down there I can guarantee you that. It's probably just some poachers or something, they like to come around here sometimes. Usually Bora keeps them away but without him here they probably think they can just waltz right in and take a midnight stroll on my land."

"But Master Korin..."

Losing his patience the old cat nearly hissed as he yelled "Stay here. Got it? It's my land and I'll deal with the damn poachers."

Goku hung his head, he never meant to upset the usually even tempered cat. he responded remorsefully "O-ok."

"Good, now hand me the bag of senzu beans over there. And don't think about drinking the sacred water, you have to take it from me remember?"

"I remember." Goku said as he handed the small white cloth pouch to Korin.

Korin leaned his stick gently against one of the many marble pillars supporting his towering home. He stood next to the edge of the platform and jumped off with the beans held tightly in hand. He flew above the forest looking for any signs of fighting because the boys' ki, despite it being absolutely massive, had shrunk to almost an undetectable level.

He saw a faint blinking in the forest and dove towards it. He came upon three broken androids with the headless neck of one still sizzling with electricity.

_Kid, what did you get yourself into?_

The trail of blood then became obvious to him, he followed it until he saw Gohan completely covered from head to toe in crimson red. Korin immediately regretted not bringing any senzu liquid with him and made a break for the nearby river. He pulverized some of the beans in the bag and placed the rest on the ground. He then soaked the pouch in the river and brought it back to Gohan. Korin opened the boy's mouth and squeezed the bag releasing the water that had soaked with the beans. As he squeezed he prayed the water had absorbed enough of the essence to work and was relieved when he saw the cuts beginning to heal.

Korin took a step back and sat on the ground, he hadn't moved that strenuously in a long time and it took its toll on him.

"M-master Korin?" Gohan said, slowly opening his eyes.

The cat hopped up energetically "Gohan you're awake! Here take this, I healed you with senzu bean water but it most likely wasn't enough."

He handed the bag of senzu mush over to Gohan and the boy eagerly emptied the bag into his mouth. The texture wasn't great but he could feel the beans literally bringing him back from the brink of death. He sat up against the rock, and felt the hole in his gi where Gero had shot him "Aw man...dad just gave me this."

For some reason Korin took a special interest in the gi, the way the fabric had ripped didn't look quite normal, rather than tattered and stringy the gi seemed to have a chunk missing in the shape of a square, he only knew of one fabric that did that. "You said Goku gave you this?"

"Yeah, why?" Gohan asked

"I've only ever seen this material in one place, Kami's lookout. This 'cloth', if you can even call it that, has many magical properties. For example, it is extremely durable and hardly ever rips, but even when it does if it's soaked in water it repairs itself."

"Really? This gi's pretty special then huh."

"Yes, yes it is and somehow you managed to tear it." He looked over to the androids bodies that laid only a few feet away "I assume that's because of Gero's androids over there."

"Yeah, they were unbelievably strong. The only way I was able to beat them was because one was an older model than the rest."

Korin held a contemptive expression "You'd easily beat them if you were able to transform into that super saiyan two of yours."

"I know but I'm not strong enough to go back into that form. I-I can't access it like I can with super saiyan."

"It's not a matter of strength, it's a matter of will, you aren't allowing yourself to reach that level Gohan."

Gohan attempted to defend himself "I've been trying, honestly I have!... I-I just can't reach it again."

"You can Gohan and you must. I'm certain that things will only get harder from here on out and you will need it if you're going to survive."

Korin looked up at the moon and was surprised by how much it had shifted "Look, Gohan, your father is worried sick and I have to go calm his nerves. It won't take him much longer to get the sacred water from me so just wash yourself in the river, mend that rip and if he asks any questions when he gets back just say that there were some poachers bothering the local wildlife. You got all that?"

"Yeah, and thank you Korin, you're a lifesaver."

"Hey its what I do, and speaking of lifesavers the leftover senzu beans are over by the river if you want them." He looked up again at the moon noticing even more time had passed "Oh boy now I've really gotta' go, see you later kid."

Gohan tried to stand but the lightheadedness from bloodloss threatened to drag him back onto the ground. He used the boulder as a crutch and waved goodbye to Korin who already began flying back up to the tower.

He walked in silence over to the calm, slow-moving river and laid in one of its shallow coves. The water removed the blood with ease and the gi that was stained crimson red quickly returned to its pleasant light blue. The square chunk missing in his shirt almost instantly filled with new cloth manifested from seemingly nowhere.

Gohan closed his eyes and relaxed in the water, it's cold embrace was welcome to his weary body and made him quite sleepy, he felt like he'd never want to leave it's rejuvinating embrace.

After a few minutes of soaking he lazily open his eyes, just to the riverside he could see the senzu beans sitting dangerously close to the water. He reluctantly forced himself up and collected them in his newly acquired white pouch. After dropping the last bean into the pouch he tied onto his belt and began walking unsteadily back to the tower.

Gohan slipped back into Upa's camp a few hours before daybreak. He laid down next to the fire that now was reduced to just a few warm embers and rested his head against a nearby log. Before closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep he wondered if he made an impact on Gero, he certainly felt like he did


	23. Chapter 23: The Spring

Gohan slowly stirred, the few hours of sleep he had gotten weren't enough to energize him and he was annoyed because of it. He sat up against the log he used as a headrest and reluctantly opened his eyes, fully expecting the morning light to be blinding but it wasn't. As a matter of fact, the light wasn't even the kind of youthful yellow that one would see in the early hours of the morning, it was more of a golden color that was usually around after dinner. He focused on his surroundings, there was no tower, no tee-pee, no Upa, just forest. He looked up, the leaves on the trees were a mixture of red and yellow with slight hints of green here and there. A withered leaf twirled through the air and glided onto his lap. He picked it up and examined its elderly qualities

_These leaves are all wrinkly...but it's still summer._

He placed the leaf gently back on the ground amongst its kin and stood to walk deeper into the strange forest

_...Guess I'm still dreaming then._

He didn't know exactly where he was going but something was telling him it was the right way. He followed this sense, this strange assurance that he was heading the right direction until he came upon the remnants of an old trail. It was almost completely covered with leaves but was still visible due to the mossy rocks that lined it, he recognized this path, it was the path that led to him and his fathers spring. He stepped onto it and began to walk along the right side, he dared not stray onto the left, that was his fathers side. His father always walked on the left allowing Gohan to hold is hand as they made their way to the spring.

The trees cleared and opened into a small circular meadow that was populated by daisies and pink roses. In the center of the meadow was the apple tree, he walked slowly up to it and sat at the base of its strong trunk. The bark was very strange for an apple tree, rather than the usual course rugged bark that characterized most apple trees, this one was soft and smooth making laying against it an absolute pleasure. He didn't question why he was dreaming this, he just enjoyed the peacefulness of it. He looked to the far side of the meadow and watched as the small waterfall trickled water into the spring below, he didn't feel like swimming although the temperature seemed to be appropriate for it, he just felt like relaxing, at least for the time being. It felt like he was able to rest there for hours, feeling completely safe and at home under the singular apple tree, he would have dared to say he felt happy but he would have known that to be a lie. There was still one final piece missing to this beautiful puzzle and he remained firmly out of his reach.

His attention was shifted as he heard a rustle from behind him in the forest, but when he tried to stand his muscles refused to cooperate. His heart rate skyrocketed as his body refused to listen to him all the meanwhile the rustling grew louder and louder. His anxiety reached a peak when all noise stopped, he heard gentle footsteps approach the tree and a hand run across the bark. The black dress shoes were the first thing he saw, and Gero slowly appeared in front of him. He had no power to move, nothing was working, his eyes followed the old man as he stood in front of him.

Gero bent down placing one hand on the grass to support himself, Gohan could tell he was flesh as he heard the slight cracking of his joints as he sat down on the grass. He hadn't noticed the softer features that made the man look much kinder than the android version of himself Gohan had first met when he was nine. He still remembered that first engagement; the terror he felt when he heard Gero cackle madly as his father collapsed onto the floor and tore at his chest was resurfacing quickly and not having the power to stand only further stoked his fears.

The terrified look in Gohan's eyes told Gero he was incapable of moving anything. He gave a crooked smile before standing up and slowly turning away from him, trying to be careful not to startle him more than he already had. He looked towards the spring's glistening waters. They were so clear you could see right through the surface even from as far back as the tree. He walked a couple of feet ahead of Gohan and carefully stepped into the meadow, avoiding each precious flower as he chose his spot to relax. Finding a perfect patch of grass that featured no flowers, he was quick to lay there, very tired for reasons unknown to him.

Gohan's breathing slowed, he wasn't in danger, at least for now. He felt his invisible straight jacket slip and suddenly he was free to move as he pleased. He got onto his feet and observed Gero, the old man had fallen asleep in the grass and was letting out a soft snore every few seconds.

He could hardly believe he was dreaming this, this was his meadow, his spring, his safe place that carried only positive memories so how could his subconscious allow Gero here? Sure, some part of him wished to redeem the old man but what he has done in the past is unforgivable. And the nerve to just lay down and relax like he had been there plenty of times before! Like he had any right to be there at all! How self-obsessed and egotistical could one man be!? He held out his hand and summoned a ball of energy, he brought it back behind his head and prepared to throw it at his sleeping foe but suddenly found himself incapable of doing so.

The ball evaporated and a sudden overwhelming sense of shame came over him, was this the kind of person he was? Willing to attack an old man resting peacefully in the mist beautiful meadow. He fell back against the tree and felt his eyes burn and a few tears leak out, he wondered how he could even think about doing something so monstrous. He flung himself up to see if Gero was still there, he felt an obligation, no, a burning need to apologize. He looked towards the grass, it no longer carried the old man. Gohan searched the area circling the meadow at least a dozen times before giving up his search

A sudden but small mouse-like voice made its way into his head

_Wake up, Jack!_

_Wake up!_

_It's Tao!_

A sudden crash and subsequent vibrations shook Gohan into consciousness. Dust had clouded his vision but he stood up and managed to shift Upa behind him. When the dust cleared it was Tao that stood only a few feet in front of him. He was visibly irritated, perhaps even more so than usual.

"Listen, boy, I am short on time and need that dragon ball, so hand it over unless you want to end up like that stupid 'Goku' friend of yours."

Gohan, still waking from his dreams and adjusting to the situation, had missed what he had said and didn't respond.

"Did you not hear me boy? I said give me the dragon ball now before I take it by force!"

"You aren't taking anything!" Goku yelled as he landed at Taos left.

Gohan saw the look in his fathers eyes, the look that screamed 'I will beat you to a bloody pulp', it was so intense it nearly frightened him. He had seen it plenty of times before but he looked unusually angry. His teeth were exposed revealing his massive fang-like canines and Gohan could have sworn he heard a quiet growl emanating from the back of his throat. He felt out his father's ki and was surprised at how large it was compared to the last time he saw him. He tried to do the math and he estimated it was roughly three to four times as large; he was impressed, to make such awesome progress in only three days of training was truly amazing, something he knew only his father could do.

Tao could hardly believe what he was seeing "You! You're alive!?"

"Yeah, my grampa's dragon ball protected me from your stupid Dodo Ray!" Goku yelled

Never before had anyone had the courage or the opportunity to insult his signature attack, he seethed with anger "Hng, its Dodon Ray you impotent little mongrel!"

"Yeah, well, I don't think it really matters because after we're done you won't be able to hurt anyone else with it!" Goku said as he readied himself. He looked over to Gohan and Upa and was relieved to see they weren't harmed "Jack make sure Upa's safe. I'll take care of Tao"

Tao smirked as he stepped lightly off the column, he kept Bulma's bag containing the dragon balls strapped onto him and rested his hands behind his back as he slowly approached Goku "Oh really and what are you going to do? The worst you could do is send me back to the tailor, now hand over that dragon ball and perhaps ill be kind enough to spare your friends!"

Goku growled, "You don't scare me!"

The nerve of this shrimpy child began to nip at Tao, he clearly needed to be taught a lesson in humility "Then perhaps this will!"

Tao rushed forwards and started with three kicks followed by his renowned death punch, a massive attack intended to splinter the sternum and send the fractured pieces into the heart. As he threw his fist towards Goku's chest it was swiftly blocked by his knee taking Tao by surprise. The assassin jumped back, this was unprecedented

"You blocked my death punch with your knee!"

Goku's focus waned, he couldn't resist the temptation to play with his opponent "Yep, it's all I kneed. Get it? kneed?"

"What have you been doing these past three days? You didnt...you didn't climb the tower did you?"

His focus returned and he answered his question particularly venomously "I did, and I drank the sacred water too!"

Tao's nerve seemed to waver a little but he tried not to make it obvious after all his opponent was only a child, an incredible one, but still just a child "No matter, even if the legends are true you still don't have what it takes to beat me."

Goku smirked and responded confidently "Well if you truly believe that then come and get me."

Tao raised his arms and drooped his hands at the wrist, not dissimilarly to what Roshi had done back at the tournament. He took in a deep breath and stepped to the left keeping his eyes on his opponent. Goku did the same and the two soon circled each other waiting for the other to make the first move and eventually Tao did. He slid across the ground and attempted to kick Goku into the air where he could more easily strike him. He was pleased when Goku jumped to dodge his kick.

_Foolish boy, I have you now!_

Tao flung up off the ground in pursuit of Goku, the two traveled high into the air before Tao realized his fatal mistake: In his ambition, he just gave Goku the high ground. At the apex of his jump Goku dove downwards into Tao and sent him flying back into the ground. When the mercenary slammed into the earth he was buried, leaving only his legs exposed. Goku landed in his stance knowing the fight wasn't over. He knew that attack was nowhere near what is required to take Tao down so he waited patiently for the mercenary to recover.

Tao freed his arms and pulled the rest of his body from the ground somewhat ungracefully. He stood from the small crater only giving it a short glance before glaring Goku down once more. His shirt was ruined by the impact, this job was growing more expensive by the minute

"Gah, you ruined my outfit again! You are the only person to ever have done that to me, oh and you will pay dearly for it, believe me!"

Gohan watched as the man raised his hand and concentrated his ki. He recognized this attack and tried to warn his father "Goku look out!"

Tao screamed putting as much rage and strength into his voice as his attack "DODON RAY!"

The yellow beam shot with incredible speed from Tao's finger straight towards Goku. In the short time that it traveled towards him he held out his hands to receive the blast and when the attack had ended it had only left a couple of scratches on his palms.

Once the light from his attack had ceased and Tao saw it had barely any effect his mouth dropped and he swore he popped a vessel in one of his eyes in sheer frustration and disbelief

Tao spoke in a calm but odd tone, one so full of surprise it almost sounded impressed "You blocked my Dodon ray."

"It can't hurt me anymore, just like my kamehameha can't hurt you." Goku said

Tao whispered to himself "Absolutely unbelievable."

_He blocked my Dodon Ray. My ultimate technique, my trademark finishing blow, it was reduced to nothing. T-there's only one thing left to try...yes this is the sure-fire way to finally rid myself of this pest_

He reached into his pocket for a capsule and pressed the button before throwing it into the air. A cloud of smoke appeared in the air and a sword dropped into his hand, he lunged forward attacking wildly in an attempt to stab Goku. Goku gasped as the blade nearly cut into his face, he ran backwards as Tao continuously pushed him. "Jack, My power pole!" he yelled as he ducked below a massive slash, managing to only lose bits of his hair to the attack.

Gohan, while keeping Upa behind him, grabbed the pole and threw it over to Goku. The mercenary continued to swing downwards, repeated striking the staff and was surprised when his sword snapped in half, his closed mouth drooped and his eyebrows raised as he examined the remains of his weapon, this was beyond explainable.

Goku swung the pole around Tao's legs and he landed flat on his rear. Before he could stand Goku held the pole over him threateningly "If you say your sorry, give us the dragon balls and promise not to hurt anyone else ever again then I'll let you go."

"Why would I make such a foolish promise and why would I make it to you?" Tao stubbornly managed out.

"Because you're beaten! Now give up and say you're sorry!" Goku stated angrily while bringing the pole closer to Tao's nose.

Tao laid his head in the grass and made it clear he had no intention of continuing to fight "Fine, I surrender. I'm sorry."

Goku drew the pole away from Tao and stepped back "Good, now can you please hand over our dragon balls, then you can go."

Tao bowed as a sign of respect and agreeance to Goku's terms "Y-yes of course... I have them right here in the bookbag."

Tao reached deeply into the bag and pulled the pin off of one of the grenades he kept in it. Goku heard the click as the pin released and when Tao threw the grenade at him he kicked it back just as fast. Tao gasped as he caught the combustive pineapple in his arms, he raised it up to throw it again but before he could it exploded in his palm encapsulating him in a blinding firey explosion.

The force of the grenade sent Goku flying back but didn't harm him aside from some scratches on his forearms. He looked sorrowfully at the circle of burning grass and the now evaporated general Tao, all that was left of him were the dragon balls and a few burning scraps of Bulma's backpack. He lifted up the two-star ball, he was thankful to have them back but regretted that the price of keeping them safe was Tao's life.

Gohan walked over to Goku and put a hand on his shoulder "You did your best Goku, sometimes people's hearts are just too hurt to change."

In the reflection of the ball Goku saw Gohan and remembered the stress of the night prior, he stuffed the ball in his gi and went to work inspecting him for signs of injury "Jack I completely forgot! Are you ok? Last night I-I could have sworn you got hurt."

Gohan blushed as Goku looked at his arms and inspected his face for any scrape or bruise, he did a similar thing after their practices in the time chamber with almost just as much worry "Yeah Goku I'm fine, there were just some poachers snooping around, that's all."

Goku breathed a sigh of relief, Korin had managed to calm him down last night but confirming that Gohan and Upa were safe himself put any concern he had firmly to bed.

"That's a relief, maybe I just worry too much." Goku laughed as he bent over to pick up the three dragon balls. "Now that we have these three back we can go get the other two that the army has. What do you say, Jack, you ready to finally get rid of these guys?"

Gohan smiled, he was just as tired of dealing with the Red Ribbon Army as his father "Yeah Goku let's finish this."

Upa walked over to the two, the only reason he hadn't approached earlier was out of fear that Tao may still be alive but now it seemed the coast was clear. "Do you two really think you can do that?"

Goku wrapped an arm around Gohan and smiled down at Upa "We sure can! Jack and I will have those dragon balls in no time, and when we do, we'll summon the dragon and get your father back Upa!"

Upa hugged his two warrior brethren "Thank you both so much. Y-you don't know how much this means to me" he began sniffling as he finished speaking.

Goku patted his head "Hey don't be sad Upa we'll be back real soon, I promise."

Upa stood back and nodded, now was not the time to get too emotional, he would only have to be alone for a little while.

Goku called for the nimbus and the two stepped on. Before getting underway Goku noticed he was only able to fit two dragon balls in his gi which meant that they needed somewhere else to put the other two. Upa saw that they needed something to carry them in and so he waddled his way into the tee-pee and came out with a ragged leather satchel.

"Here Goku take this, it's usually for fish but it can carry the dragon balls."

Goku opened the satchel, it was surprisingly clean and carried the dragon balls nicely. He put three in but kept the four-star for himself, he didn't trust anything to keep it safer than himself.

"Thanks, Upa! We'll see you soon!" Goku said while waving enthusiastically, he could tell Upa wasn't excited to be left on his own but he knew that he would be alright, he felt like Bora had prepared him for a situation like this. He sat down on the nimbus with Gohan behind him and the two took to the sky, traveling as fast as they could towards the Red Ribbon Armies two dragon balls.

He kept a close watch on the radar, they traveled closer and closer as each second passed but it wasn't fast enough for him, Goku wanted to be there now, not only because the challenge of defeating an entire army was thrilling but also because he had someone waiting patiently for his return.

About halfway to the dragon balls both Goku and Gohan noticed a small circular drone following just a few yards behind them.

Goku stood and peered over at the thing which made it travel closer to him "What is it, Jack?"

"It's some kind of drone Goku. But I don't think it's Red Ribbon, it has the capsule corp logo."

That name rung a bell for Goku, " Capsule c- Oh, Bulma's dad owns that right?"

"Yeah, if I had to guess, the camera under the glass casing is probably her watching us right now."

He innocently looked into the red eye of the camera "Y-you mean she's in that little drone?"

Gohan giggled, his father still had so much to learn about the world "No Goku she's probably watching from Master Roshi's. She must have built this to find us."

The droid seemed to nod in the affirmative just before shooting in front of the two, unknowingly heading towards the Red Ribbon base.

"Wow, it's so fast!" Goku said enthusiastically

Gohan was puzzled

_Why are you sending a drone out Bulma, you can't be that worried about us...can you?_

After going over the possible reasons and coming to no conclusion he eventually let the question slip from his mind.

The two continued on their flight until they came upon a few massive mountains, so large they were partially shrouded by clouds that floated beneath their huge white peaks. As they hurdled the troublesome obstacles they were met by a valley featuring a massive pine forest. Off in the distance was the Red Ribbon Headquarters, it was a massive hulking compound. There were multiple airstrips featuring long lines of jets and stationary helicopters, rows and rows of tanks were parked in open-aired depots, just waiting for deployment. Truly it was an incredible and horrible sight but it paled in comparison to the most oppressive feature of the base: The Castle. The castle's white stone walls were raised high above the tanks and the jets, towering over the surrounding area in an almost cathedral-like fashion. Inside its walls the buildings were each covered and lined with gold, a symbol of the wealth and power of the Red Ribbon Army and a proclamation of its royalty and prestige.

Despite this seeming like the most daunting enemy Goku had ever been put up against his courage didn't waver. He knew that with Gohan by his side there wasn't a damn thing the Red Ribbon Army could do to stop them, So he pressed forward, excited and determined to claim their two dragon balls.


	24. Chapter 24: Stronger Together

Deep within the castle, inside the Red Ribbon central command Commander Red watched, waiting patiently as Goku and Gohan drew nearer to the base. The short, one-eyed, ginger, Scottish man sat on his throne and stared at the overhead screen displaying the greatest opponents ever to face his army, two measly children. He frowned, looking at these two arrogant brats flying on their cloud and putting on a brave face like they could take on the world, it made him sick to his stomach. He took a half-smoked cigar out of his mouth as he turned to his left to speak candidly to his most trusted advisor

"Ai'll tell you what Black if these SAM turrets we implemented really do work ai'll raise your salary by ten percent."

Officer Black stood from his chair in surprise; an offer this generous was rarely made by Red.

"T-thank you, sir. I promise you the turrets will-"

Red furiously interrupted "What did ai tell you about standing in front of me!?"

"Sorry, sir I-"

"Sit your arse back down!" Red visciously screamed, enraged by his tall and slender officers ignorance.

Black disgruntledly sat back down in his chair, he knew due to Red's constant insecurities concerning his height that he had just lost the chance at a raise.

Red smiled condescendingly "Now ai' want these turrets firing as soon as those kids are in range so make sure they're ready to go."

Black nodded and went to work readying the SAM turrets they had cleverly hidden in the forest surrounding the outer edges of the base. On his computer, he checked the condition of each turret personally and from the looks of it, each turrets' ammunition was full and targeting systems online.

"Alright, sir I believe we are ready to go," Black said

An evil smile appeared on Red's face. An awful and wicked smile that displayed his multiple false teeth and puffy red gums "Good, now, fire on those bloody bastards!"

Black pushed the launch button and a hail of missiles were fired from the turrets, the ground vibrated and Red watched with pleasure as the camera's view was obscured by smoke.

Goku squinted as he saw the smoke rise from the trees in front of him, clouding his view of the base he panicked believing the army was setting the forest ablaze in order to stop their approach "Jack look, the army's setting forest is on fire! They're gonna hurt the animals!"

Gohan stepped to the left peering over Goku's shoulder, the smoke wasn't white like smoke coming from burning leaves or wood, it was black like gunpowder. He held a hand out in front of Goku signifying to stop whatever plan he was putting into motion.

"Hold on Goku. I don't think that's a forest fire..."

Missiles flew passed the pair and the nimbus dove into the forest shaking the two around as it maneuvered through the uneven terrain.

Gohan could hardly believe their stupidity, they were shooting missiles from inside the forest where plenty of trees or rocks could obstruct their missiles

"Goku dive the nimbus into the forest!"

"You've got it!" Goku said as he ordered the cloud to do a nearly ninety-degree dive into the pines below.

The whistling sound of rockets passing by could be heard until they reached the outermost layer of the base's defenses. They both stepped quietly off the cloud and crept along the edge of the treeline looking for a good way in. Directly in front of them, there were a couple dozen soldiers dug in around a gate that guarded the main road. Passed the gate it looked like the main road that branched off into two: The first road went left towards the castle and the second went right towards the barracks and airstrips.

"What do you think Goku? Should we push through these guys and head up the left towards the castle?" Gohan asked

Goku took out the dragon radar and it indicated that the dragon balls were somewhere inside the insidious fortress "Yeah, but there's no way we can use the nimbus right now, they'll just blow it up once we get in the air. I think the only way to get in is to go through them."

The two saw more soldiers arrive at the gate, Red knew they were somewhere in that area and sent reinforcements to make sure the gate stayed secure. Realizing their window of opportunity was closing Goku nudged Gohan and the two ran from the forest towards the entrenched guards.

The machine-gun nests were the first to spot them and wasted no time in open-firing. Gohan ran behind Goku, allowing him to block the bullets with his pole as they continued to push forward. Once they were close enough the two leaped over the guns and knocked out the soldiers manning them, they then diverted their attention to the dozens of guards that now surrounded them. They stood back to back as the Red Ribbon forces huddled together and circled them. A voice broke from the ranks

"Drop the staff and surrender!" The voice gave Goku a second to obey his command before appearing once more "The games over, we have you surrounded, now drop the staff!"

Goku yelled "Powerpole extend!" and the staff grew by at least twenty feet forcing gasps out of a few of the soldiers.

He screamed "Take this!" swinging the pole around the feet of the troops knocking many of them to the ground. Using this as an opening Gohan rushed forward and snapped a soldier's wrist forcing him to drop his weapon. Goku followed right behind him and the pair battered the soldiers until none were left standing.

"Great work Goku!" Gohan said, his father's speed and technique clearly had honed since before his fight with Tao.

"You too Jack! Those guys didn't know what hit em'"

Goku sheathed his power pole and the two ran passed the gate entering the innards of the Red Ribbon Base. The road that led to the castle was longer than they expected and required them to pass by a few weapons depots and an armory all of which were oddly empty. It seemed like the troops left in quite a hurry as most of the weapons lockers were left open.

"I wonder where everybody went." Goku mused

After much more walking than they anticipated they had finally made it to the gate of the castle. it was suspiciously both open and unguarded

Gohans eyes darted around looking for "It's too quiet Goku, I think they are setting a trap for us,"

"You think so huh? Hm..." Goku hesitated seemingly weighing the odds in his head "Do you want to look for another way around?"

"No, no I think we can handle these guys. Just be careful ok?"

He was slightly worried about the equipment the army had; bullets were no problem for his father but he didn't know if he was durable enough to withstand being shot by a tank.

"I will, but you be careful too," Goku said before leading the way passed the gate. They both stopped to admire the beauty of the courtyard leading up to the main tower. The asphalt road they walked upon thus far had changed and was now constructed of finely cut stone all perfectly fit together in a beautiful manor. The road was lined by white plaster exteriored buildings with beautiful glass windows and priceless golden roofs, they looked as if they had jumped straight out of a medieval fairytale.

Suddenly from the alleyways, soldiers appeared blocking them from walking any further. The soldiers didn't even bother speaking to the two before shooting at them. Goku used his power pole and blocked every bullet with ease despite many soldiers carrying heavy machine guns. The troops quickly expended their ammunition and when they found their bullets were ineffective they took out their last resort: rocket launchers. Under normal circumstances firing rockets so close to the castle grounds meant immediate termination under the rules of the army but this was no ordinary circumstance. The troops, although their confidence was shaken, brought forward two rocket launchers but before they could load them Goku and Gohan had already begun their counter-attack. Goku went for the launchers destroying them both with his pole and Gohan knocked out the few soldiers that weren't already retreating back towards central command

In this momentary peace, Goku checked the radar again; the dragon ball was absolutely in the bases command center. Goku showed the radar to Gohan and the two agreed to continue following the stone road because it was the most straightforward path. Just as they continued on their way another trap was hastily sprung for them. The glass windows of the surrounding buildings shattered violently as the barrels of guns were pushed through them. A new and rapid wave of gunfire began forcing Gohan and Goku to take cover in a nearby alleyway. Goku, growing tired of these delays, thought of a better way to get passed the soldiers. An ingenious idea popped into his head,

_The rooftops, they can't hit us if they can't see us!_

"Jack hold on, I'm gonna get us on the rooftops! Powerpole extend!" he said, grabbing Gohan by the waist just as the pole began to lengthen. The gunfire stopped as the soldiers hesitated, they would receive more than an earful from their angry commander if they ruined his beautiful rooftops. Using their enemy's hesitation Goku and Gohan jumped from rooftop to rooftop unchallenged by anyone, even the helicopters that were overhead refused to fire in fear of damaging their commander's beloved castle.

The bases announcement system sprung to life with an annoying hiss. A loud voice coated with a thick Scottish accent begun speaking, "Listen brave soldiers now is the time you prove your loyalty to the army and to me. This is Commander Red and I order each and every one of you to take up arms and kill those two! Do it by any means necessary,shoot them, stab them, blow em' up, do whatever is needed to get them out of the way. I don't even care if you burn down the whole damn place. JUST GET ME THOSE DRAGON BALLS!"

The helicopters that were once hesitant swooped in bravely like angry hornets but each was swatted rather efficiently as Goku swung his power pole. One of the last helicopters that Goku had managed to hit was seen spinning uncontrollably as it fell from the sky onto a fuel canister near one of the weapons depots. The explosion from the impact was spectacular, sending a shockwave of heat and wind throughout the base.

For many that hot, powerful and terrifying explosion was the last straw; dying for the Red Ribbon Army was a sacrifice not many were willing to make and so they fled. The bases alarms went off and wailed continuously as company after company of troops fled from the two boys in terror. The voice returned and echoed throughout the base that was quickly emptying "W-where are you all going? Ai said kill those kids! This isn't a democracy; you aren't allowed to leave without me saying so! You bastards get back here now! Ai am still in charge!"

The dynamic pair couldn't help but laugh in hearing the distress in the Scottish commander's voice, his troops he had just called brave were now running scared. At that point, it was obvious that they had won the day, all that was required was that Goku and Gohan went and claimed their prize. The two hopped off from the roof and made their way through the streets to the door of the central command. It was a circular tower with a large satellite dish hanging precariously off the building at an odd angle. The two stepped through the front door and entered into an empty lobby which was bare aside from a front desk and one elevator. Gohan stepped forward and pressed the call button and the elevator arrived in only a few seconds. The two stepped in and pressed the top floor button which was undoubtedly where a commander would be. When the door opened a slender, tall, and dark man stood silently, eyeing the two down with false determination.

"Give us the two dragon balls!" Goku said threateningly while unsheathing the power pole.

"I'm afraid I don't have them; however, I can bring you to the man who does. He is Commander Red, leader of the Red Ribbon Army and I will bring you to him in pieces." He rolled up his sleeves and stood in a boxer like stance with one foot out far in front of the other and his fists held close to guard his face. The fight was short and fast as Goku broke his defenses and kicked Black into the window, shattering it. The force of the impact threw Black outside but he caught the ledge covered in sharp glassy bits before he had the chance to fall to his death.

Satisfied that the threat had been dealt with Goku and Gohan walked over to the elevator but before they could press the button to call the elevator a noise came from the ceiling. A noise that sounded like hydraulics being prepped. In one sudden and rapid movement, the ceiling crashed onto the two. Goku, being slightly taller, caught the full weight of the ceiling and struggled to keep it in place. Worried that they both would be crushed Goku saw only one way to ensure that they still would get the dragon balls "Jack...get t-to the elevator. I'll hold up the ceiling...w-while you get the dragon balls!"

It was obvious that Goku was struggling and Gohan knew he wouldn't be able to hold up the ceiling for very long. He held up his hands and alleviated some of the weight from his father's shoulders. "No Goku we can beat this together! We just have to push really hard and break the machine that's pushing the ceiling down on us!"

The burst of confidence in Gohan's voice surprised and invigorated Goku "Alright then let's do it! We'll push really hard on the count of three. One! Two! Three!"

They both pushed and sent the ceiling flying upwards back into the hydraulic machinery crumpling it and smashing the ceiling back into place albeit quite brutally. Tired from the immense effort it took to stop the ceiling, Goku sat on the floor for a moment to catch his breath. Gohan, pretending to be exhausted, gave him a thumbs up and went to call the elevator, but it seemed it was already on its way down. The doors opened and the short ginger Commander Red stepped out from it carrying the two dragon balls. His eye went wide as he nearly dropped the two dragon balls he held in his hands "H-how are you two still alive? That ceiling pushes down with a force of ten thousand tons!" Red said, stepping back towards the elevator. He was tempted to call it but he realized it would be pointless, there was no escape.

Red nearly came to tears as he stared at the two orange orbs he held in his palms "Ai-Ai can't believe this. All Ai' wanted was to grow a few inches, that would have been my wish. But you couldn't let me have that could ya? You two little monstrous bastards couldn't-"

A hole appeared in the commander's skull. Black had climbed through the window and shot him as he was distracting the boys. The ginger Scotsman's body fell to the floor lifeless. The dragon balls rolled across the floor and Reds spilled blood pooled until it touched the soles of Blacks shoes.

"Stupid fool! You wasted millions of Red Ribbon dollars searching for those balls, and for what, to grow a couple of inches?! You were a pathetic, midget of a man and an incompetent commander. I am far better suited to lead this army than you ever were!" In anger, Black kicked Reds leg like he would a soccer ball hoping for him to somehow feel the pain in the afterlife. "I will lead the army to a better future and I will start by tying up your loose ends," Black said as he threw a capsule behind him. Once the smoke cleared a massive robotic suit of armor stood before them and Black, in one elegant jump, made his way inside it.

"I think I've evened the odds wouldn't you two say?" Black said menacingly. He clenched his fist and smacked Goku into the wall, crumbling it and sending him flying towards the castle's courtyard below. Gohan knew that hit didn't do much of anything as he felt no drop in his father's ki so he stayed put and waited for Blacks next move.

"Paralyzed with fear are you boy? Yes, I would be too if I were up against this powerful of a machine. I just hope that when I hit you you'll fly even farther than your friend." Black said and he raised his robotic fist threw it at Gohan. His fist was caught by both Goku and Gohan.

"Goku?" Gohan said confusedly.

Goku nodded "Yeah! Nimbus caught me as I was falling and brought me back up as fast as it could!"

Black jumped backward, the odds were stacking against him and being indoors was more like a liability than anything else. He activated the suits engines and flew out the opening Goku had made. He relaxed slightly as he floated above the command center and tried to figure out a way to beat these seemingly invulnerable opponents. He settled on the machine's ultimate weapon, a ballistic missile stored in the back of the suit. He turned the machine upside down and launched the massive missile towards the two, he knew it would incinerate the building but as long as he secured the dragon balls it would all be worth it in the end.

Goku saw the attack coming before the missile even was fired and leaped into the air, jumping towards Black. Once he was close enough he kicked the missile sending it away from the base and into a nearby mountain. The explosion was absolutely massive and created a mini avalanche, blanketing some of the forests near the compound in a new and thicker layer of snow. Landing back next to Gohan, Goku recognized this as their chance to strike."Jack, we've both got to hit him with a kamehameha! Let's do it together"

"Right Goku, let's finish this thing once and for all!" Gohan smiled, holding out his hands just as his father was.

"KAME-HAME-HA!" The two roared in unison and their two blue waves shot out together and formed one massive super kamehameha, blasting straight through Blacks mechanical bodysuit. Black quickly mashed the different buttons in the cockpit in some meaningless effort to deter the suit's destruction but it was too late, his fuel reserves had already caught fire. Black breathed one final defeated breath and then erupted into a ball of flame, he knew that with his death came the death of the Red Ribbon Army and the loss of all they had gained in their years of conquest.

Goku and Gohan turned towards the dragon balls after the explosion. Both the balls were covered in the commander's blood, a cruel reminder of what was required to obtain the magical orbs. Goku picked them up and wiped them off on the commander's coat before giving them to Gohan who quickly stuffed them into the leather satchel. Still remaining positive Goku put on a smile and went to where he'd smashed through the wall, he called for the nimbus and the two flew out of the compound victorious, carrying six of the seven mystical orbs.

On their flight out the two heard six familiar voices coming from below, it seems through Bulma's drone the gang had managed to find the two. Goku was overjoyed, after such a long day of battle seeing friends was sure to cheer him up. He swooped down and landed the cloud just in front of everyone "Hey guys! Boy, are we glad to see you!"

Krillin was the first to pipe up "Goku we heard you two were going to take on the whole Red Ribbon Army by yourselves and we figured you might need some help."

Goku naively replied "Wow, how did you guys know all that? Was it the drone thingy we saw?"

Yamcha was in awe "Y-you mean you two really took on the whole army by yourselves!?"

Goku nodded "Yep, we beat the whole bunch! And we managed to get the two dragon balls they had! You guys should have seen the fight, it was amazing! Jack has improved a lot since the tournament, at this point, even after I climbed Korin Tower, he's just as tough as me!"

"I don't know about that Goku...You did lead the charge for most of the fight" Gohan said sheepishly.

His comment seemed dismissed as Roshi bellowed out "What!? You climbed Korin Tower?! That means...Goku how long did it take you to get the sacred water?"

"It took me a whole three days even with the motivation of trying to save Upa." Goku said in a distracted tone, he remembered the reason he needed to collect the dragon balls.

"It took you three days!? That is incredible! It took me three years to get the water from that mangey cat Korin, and I was proud of that."

Goku chuckled a little, his master was always good for a laugh. His mind thought back to Upa and he took out the radar and turned it on. Oddly enough, the radar displayed their six dragon balls but the seventh was nowhere to be found. Goku widened the radar's view but still no luck. The screen displayed the entire Earth but only showed the locations of six of the seven dragon balls. He figured it may have been damaged during the fight and he breathed a sigh of relief knowing that Bulma was right here to fix it. "Hey, Bulma I think the radar may have broke during all the fighting today. Could you take a look at it?"

Bulma was eager to help, after sitting on a plane traveling to a remote base out in the countryside, working on something electrical was the perfect pick-me-up. She saw that the screen only displayed six of the seven dragon balls, she concluded that this was either a complex mechanical issue or something worse "Hm, I have some theories Goku but I really can't confirm anything until I take it back to my makeshift workshop at Master Roshi's. I take it you two be joining us for the time being right?"

"Yeah, we'll come visit for a while but we have to hurry. Our friend Upa needs the dragon balls to help bring back his father."

"Right I heard you mention something about Upa earlier, who is he?" Bulma asked curiously

Goku took a minute to think about how to explain it all, he believed the timeline to be very complex and considering he wasn't the best storyteller he tried to simplify things as much as possible "He's a little boy Jack and I met while searching for the dragon balls. He and his father lived at Korin tower and when this mercenary named Tao showed up he killed Upa's father, Bora. After I beat Tao, we promised to collect the dragon balls and bring Upa's father back with our wish."

Bulma's heart melted at Goku's kindness to strangers, the little boy she had met in her search for the dragon balls now searched for them himself, and with a far nobler purpose.

"That's amazing Goku. You two really are something special. I've never seen anyone with kinder hearts."

Oolong grit his teeth "Ahem, I am the one who stopped Pilaf from wishing for world domination you know. I consider that pretty kind-hearted"

Bulma slapped the pigs shiny head "Yeah, you stopped him by wishing for a pair of panties you creep!"

Goku laughed along with everyone else. He then looked at his radar one final time before wrapping it back around his neck. He could hardly believe his adventure was this close to completion, he turned to Gohan to speak,

"Well, Jack only one left to go." He said feeling a bitter-sweet sting as the words left his mouth.

Gohan noticed the undertone of sadness, it was clear he didn't want the adventure to be over either. Still, he managed a smiled and nudged Goku's shoulder "And we'll get it just like we got the dragon balls today: together."


	25. Chapter 25: In the Land of Giants

The smoke rose in large puffs from the deserted Red Ribbon Base. The eery silence of the crumbling compound rung through the valley. Gero and his past self had watched Goku and Gohan's entire engagement remotely from their cave laboratory, one of them far angrier than the other.

"I can't believe those bastard children destroyed the entire Red Ribbon Army! I see now why you were so interested in those boys Doctor Hamilton, they aren't even human!" he stuttered quite severely before spewing more frustrated words "And now without the funding from the Red Ribbon Army we can't even pursue our revenge!"

The older, disguised Gero cracked a smile at his young self's naivety "Ah, not necessarily my young friend."

He placed a sheet of paper down on the table in front of his younger self. On it was a bank balance of three-hundred fifty million dollars. Gero had managed to embezzle the funds remotely, hacking into the Army's primitive security system and stealing the majority of the money during the chaos of the attack.

"Doctor Hamilton you goddamned evil genius! This will allow us to continue our research for years!" Gero said. " But I suppose more importantly this will allow us to take revenge on those two brats for destroying the Red Ribbon Army."

The older Gero nodded although he wasn't paying too much attention, strangely he felt disconnected from the situation. He turned his back and walked out of the observation room they had constructed for the sole purpose of keeping an eye on the two young saiyans "Pardon me but, I think I'm going to go for a walk."

"A walk? Old man you have all the time in the world to go on a walk. Right now we should be getting to work on the next batch of androids."

Gero seethed with anger in silence; his younger self's arrogance was as infuriating as his ignorance. He was especially insufferable when constructing androids because of his lack of experience in binding organic matter to machinery and his novice wiring abilities. Gero also had his progress slowed by just how little his past self understood about ki and energy control but he put up with it because his past self's lab equipment was both crucial and irreplaceable for android construction.

"I'm taking this walk Gero so go start it yourself," he said before leaving through the labs two large sixty-centimeter thick steel doors. The snow crunched beneath his feet as he made it passed the mouth of the cave, the freezing cold temperatures would be too much for any normal man but due to his mechanical body, he felt nothing.

As he walked along a path of his own choosing he pondered over the events that had unfolded in his month and a half being stuck in the past.

_This entire ordeal is tiring. Despite being mechanical I still feel the wear of age that the original Gero felt as he grew older. I no longer feel the firey angry spirit I once felt when constructing my original android warriors, if anything I think I feel... rather empty. I create each machine with such precision and care only to instill in them the same hateful mission over and over again: Kill Son Goku, kill Son Gohan. And somehow they never win, despite all my efforts and all my talent somehow Gohan keeps winning. _

_Perhaps he's right in a way, perhaps I would feel better if I created machines for the benefit of humanity._

He cursed himself, how could he let the words of a child sway him so much?

_God, what a pestilent, infectious boy with his constant niceties..._

A snow-white rabbit hopped in front of his way and stood their staring at him. For the first time in his life he didn't feel the immediate desire to crush it's stupid, thoughtless head and fling its body into the snow. He felt something different, an emotion he didn't have the words to describe. He bent down and the rabbit allowed him to caress it.

_Why do I feel this way? Why don't I feel the same disgust for this rabbit that I have felt for his kind my whole life? Why do I find myself gravitating towards its innocent stare and fluffy fur coat? Was my template bordering senility or could it be that I am truly not a perfect copy?_

He picked up the rabbit which seemed to take to his hold rather naturally, it was at this moment he felt it's bony ribs. The creature was starving.

"Come my... little friend, we will go back to my laboratory. Once we are there I'll fetch you a blanket and find some em... celery for you. You like celery don't you?" he asked. The animal's brown eyes stared back at him as it neared itself to his chest, attempting to escape the colds abusive sting. Gero felt an odd familiarity in the creature's demeanor and opened his coat, shielding it from the subzero temperatures. Once he zipped the coat back up he began his walk back to the lab.

_But if the boy is right, and I'm not really Doctor Gero then who am I? Am I just a machine destined to do the bidding of a man long since dead? A murderous, rampaging fiend hellbent on destroying the fabric of time? There must be a purpose for which I serve, something as meaningful as the revenge I've pursued for so long._

He felt the rabbit squirm inside his jacket disturbed by the lack of fresh air. At that moment he observed himself feeling, feeling responsible for the protection of this helpless animal.

_Yes, yes that's it! I'll take my feelings out of the equation! I'll do a complete memory wipe and reinstall Gero's original template, ridding me of this disgusting melancholy I dread so much and reinvigorating my want for revenge! I'll just need something to prove that the wipe worked..._

"You'll do that for me, won't you, my furry companion?" he asked as the rabbits head peeked out from his coat. "I'm not hearing any objections so I will take your silence as a resounding yes."

He quickened his pace back to the laboratory and in no time he was standing in front of the massive sixty-centimeter thick steel doors. He pressed a button disguised as a part of the cave's entrance which activated the automatic greeting system.

An empty robotic voice greeted the doctor "Password please."

"Golf, Echo, Romeo, Oscar."

"Password Denied."

_Damn, I forgot this was before I installed the new security measures._

"Hm... Romeo, Echo, Delta?"

"Password Accepted."

_Good now onto my personal study._

He walked briskly through the main room where his past self drew new blueprints for the next androids. He was stopped by his younger selfs baritone voice

"Quite a fast walk doctor. Enough time to clear your aging mind?"

_There's that damned ego again_

"Quite enough Gero. Quite enough."

The rabbit squirmed within his jacket once again which served as more motivation to get to his study. Hearing no witty response from himself he exited the room and walked down the lab's long main hall, the walls of sheet metal were still stainless having only been there for a few months and the lights were still bright and energetic, a stark contrast to his lab twenty years into the future. Once inside the safety of his study, he opened his coat allowing the rabbit to crawl around freely, at least for the moment. He breathed a sigh of relief as he sat down in his swivel chair, the morning already had taken a lot out of him.

He started his personal computer and even with the technology of the past limiting him somewhat, he was pleased with the speed of the boot. He ran diagnostics and made sure that his systems were all functioning at peak performance. Once he was sure everything was optimal he plugged himself in and opened the Gero template. He hovered over the 'wipe and reinstall' option, at this point all he needed to do was press the enter key to begin the sequence. His finger sat gently over the key but no matter how much he tried he couldn't press it. He couldn't start the sequence.

_Perhaps tomorrow..._

_Yes, perhaps tomorrow..._

* * *

Bulma tapped her screwdriver gently upon the table. She had been fiddling with the internal components of the dragon radar for almost an hour now. She had explored every possible angle, every conceivable crevasse of the device and yet she found nothing mechanically wrong with it. She even reinstalled the dragon radar program on the off chance it was a software issue but still no luck, it only showed six balls.

"Man, I don't get it. It should be working just fine," she said defeatedly.

Goku frowned, it wasn't like Bulma to seem so defeated "Well, Bulma, we could see all seven just a little while ago. What do you think happened?"

Her eyes lit up and her defeated tone was replaced by curiosity "Wait so you saw the seventh on the radar and it just happened to disappear? It wasn't gone the whole time?"

"Yeah, we definitely saw seven at one point," Gohan said while sitting closely between Goku and Bulma.

"Well, I guess that means something ate the dragon ball. It wouldn't show up on the radar then." Bulma said

Goku sighed, looking at the six balls organized neatly out on the table "Well how are we gonna find it."

Roshi, who had been trimming his beard at the time, placed his pair of long scissors down and cleared his throat "You could always visit Fortune Teller Baba. Her clairvoyance will help you find that seventh ball in no time."

"A lady friend of the great Master Roshi I assume?" Yamcha said

Roshi was nauseated, his sister did not inherit the same good looks as he did "I just visit her whenever I need help finding something I've lost."

The old man walked into his bedroom and came out with a wrinkled, yellow map that smelled musky due to its age. He traced his finger along the paper until he found the semi-circular lake that marked his sister's palace.

"There it is. That's Baba's palace."

Goku stared confusedly at the paper "It's a nice picture Master Roshi but I don't see how it's going to help us find where she is."

"It's a map Goku. It's basically a set of directions that lead you to the place you're trying to get to." Gohan said

"Yeah, and from the looks of it Fortune Teller Babas palace is about... fourteen miles from The West Valley." yamcha clapped his hand excitedly "I guess that settles it, I'm coming with you two! I'm just as eager you two to find her. I want to see if she's the real deal or not."

Puar chimed in excitedly "Me too!"

Goku, Gohan, Yamcha, and Puar all look expectantly at Krillin. The bald little monk sighed and stood up, stretching his knees "Alright, alright let's get going..."

"You coming along too Bulma?" Goku asked

"Not this time Goku. My dad's been working on something really big and he's gonna need my help to finish it. Knowing him he'll probably forget where he put his wrench and need me to find it for him and have me help put a few things in. I usually don't do a whole bunch when helping but I do play an important role in making sure he's able to actually finish the project."

Goku wasn't happy that she wouldn't be able to tag along but he understood why she had to help her father. "Ok Bulma, take care then!" he said energetically, following Yamcha and the others out of Kame houses front door.

Yamcha threw his plane capsule out onto the beach and from the smoke appeared a little six-seater airplane for the group to travel in. He stepped in and started heating up the planes main engines

"Alright, everyone pile in. My navigational computer is a little older than others so the ETA might be a little off but I'm sure it's gonna' be a while."

Goku and Gohan stepped in first, the cabin of the plane was actually quite nice considering it was one of capsule corps older models. Naturally, they sat close to each other and strapped in for the long flight. Krillin stepped in and sat behind the two, he hadn't gotten plenty of sleep the night prior so he was content with having two seats to himself, it was easier to nap that way. Once Yamcha said his goodbyes to Bulma he and Puar stepped into the craft and sat in the pilot's seats. Yamcha donned the headgear while checking the plane's fuel and systems, he had forgotten the last time he was able to use this plane, it brought back memories to his bandit days when he first stole it.

Goku waved goodbye to Bulma, Roshi, Launch, and Oolong as their plane lifted into the air. His old master smiled mischievously as they took off, he had kept the details of Baba's payment for her services to himself.

An hour into the flight Gohan found himself feeling a little bored, there wasn't much to do on the plane. His father was busy staring out the window and Krillin had already fallen asleep so he decided to peer over Yamcha's shoulder at the Navi-Computer; it estimated their time of arrival at around twenty-two hours from then. He sighed which Goku took notice of.

"You alright Jack?"

"Yeah, it's just that we're gonna' be flying for a little while and we don't have much to do."

"I could tell you one of grampa's stories if you'd like. I may not remember all of what he said but most of his stories were really good."

Gohan was excited, a story sounded like a good way to pass the time "Sure Goku, that sounds nice."

Goku concentrated, he imagined his grandfather telling him the story and tried to emulate the way he would structure it

"In the land of giants, a small boy walked. He wasn't the bravest or the strongest of his people but he was the kindest of them.

He lived in the villages barn with all the animals because he didn't have any parents and everyone else said no to letting him live with them. One day an old man, tired from walking stopped in his village to rest near night time. When no one would allow him to stay with them the boy came up to the old man and said 'You can come stay with me. I live with the village's animals but everything I have you can have too'.

The old man was touched by how nice the boy was and said 'You have been more than kind to me. I-"

Goku struggled to pronounce the word "hum-bly accept your offer'.

So the old man came back to the barn with the boy and stayed the night. When the boy woke up the next morning the old man was gone, he thought to himself 'I wonder where he went' and when he walked outside he found a huge wooden house made just for him.

The old man stepped out from the front door and showed the boy inside, he said to him 'You were the only person who treated me nicely here in this village. This house is payment for your kindness'.

The people of the boy's village saw what kindness can do for them and became much nicer people after that. They kept retelling the story of the boy in the barn and the old man for years and years until-"

He felt Gohan's head rest against his shoulder, apparently, his story was more like a bedtime story than a way to pass the time. He decided he wouldn't bother waking him up considering they still had over twenty hours left on the flight and the story was just about finished anyway. He yawned and shifted around in his seat until he felt comfortable, telling stories the way his grandpa told them was difficult and took a lot of mental energy. He laid his head on top of Gohans and closed his eyes, letting the humming of the plane carry him off to sleep.

When Goku awakened it was sunset, Yamcha and Puar were gone from the pilot seats. He gently lifted Gohans head off of his arm and let him lie down on his seat. He exited the craft and was instantly hit by the sting of drifting sand. Once he was able to open his eyes again he observed they were in an old western town. The general store was just across the street from them and to its right were the dentistry and tailors. He walked down the plane's steps and saw Yamcha refueling "Hey Goku your up, surprising considering it was impossible to wake you just a couple of minutes ago. We're still roughly thirteen hours away from Babas so go ahead and stretch your legs while we're here."

Goku nodded and did just that. He went wide-eyed because just as he stretched he heard his shirt and pants both rip. Leaving his left hand extended he felt the new hole around his stomach with his right. The hole in his shirt wasn't necessarily cause for concern but the one on his pants was, it was right below his tail. Luckily with both hands at his side and standing with his legs close together the rips were hardly visible due to the slight bagginess of the clothing.

Yamcha giggled "Hey it's alright Goku. There's a tailor right over there so we'll get you some new clothes, just let me finish refueling the plane ok?"

After placing the fuel nozzle back into its station he stepped inside the plane and woke both Krillin and Gohan up. He didn't want to risk leaving the plane alone with the two sleeping boys in case there were thieves. He made sure to lock the door behind them as they exited the craft. Yamcha motioned his hand and led the way to the tailors.

Gohan pushed open the creaky wooden door of the tailors and wandered around. Most of the clothing that was on display was tacky and styled like the old west. There were tall cowboy boots and brown leather vests, even corsets in the women's section, definitely not a place for warriors to shop.

He looked over to see his father carefully slipping a green vest on over a light blue button-up shirt attempting to not ruin the bowtie. Puar dropped a cap onto his head while he buttoned the vest, she thought he looked adorable. The shop owner smiled and nodded, he was proud of how nice the outfit he put together looked. Gohan frowned he could tell the clothes were humiliating for him.

"This is too tight and scratchy. There's not even a hole for my tail! I don't see how anyone could fight in this." Goku said unhappily. "Could I have my old clothes back?"

Yamcha struggled not to laugh, he agreed with Goku that he looked completely ridiculous in normal clothing. He turned to the shopkeeper and asked, "Can you tailor a gi like the one he came in wearing?"

"Of course but it will take a couple of hours"

A couple of hours was a lot of time, a lot of time he didn't feel like waiting "You know what, I'll throw in ten extra Zeni if you can make it in an hour."

"Ten Zeni, you say? Well I'll do my best, but I won't sacrifice the quality to get it done faster"

"Good enough for me" Yamcha replied while shrugging his shoulders.

The group walked out of the store unsure of how to spend the next hour. They walked back to their ship and Goku stared at the empty sixth seat in the cabin.

_Upa!_ he thought.

"Hey, guys I'm gonna go get Upa and bring him back here. He's been by himself all this time and he should probably be with us when we get the seventh dragon ball."

"You want me to come with you Goku?" Gohan asked

"Nah that's ok, it'll probably take me a lot less time to get there and back with only two people on the nimbus."

"Right, right," Gohan said before stepping back into the plane

He sighed as he sat back in his seat. He had no idea what to do for the next hour. After settling in he rested his head on the chair's armrest and looked out onto the sunset. Its gold and purple magnificence reflected off of his brown eyes and he slowly watched it seep behind the mountains in the far distance. Once the sun had disappeared entirely Goku had returned with Upa and introduced him to everyone. Krillin took a particular liking to the young lad and he whispered to Gohan.

"She's kind of cute isn't she Jack?"

Gohan whispered back, attempting not to smile "That's a boy Krillin"

Krillin's cheeks turned red "You. Heard. Nothing."

Gohan giggled a little as he nodded and motioned him zipping his mouth shut.

As the town emptied out and the shops began to close the tailor stepped towards the craft and presented the new gi to Goku. It was a perfect replica of the one he was wearing, down to the last detail; the orange was the same deep dark color and the blue wristbands and sash belt were just as vibrant. As promised, for finishing the gi within an hour, Yamcha handed off the sixty total Zeni the gi costed him. He wasn't upset about the expense but he was eager to get going.

"All right Goku change and load up. We've got a lot of ground to cover and I'd like to get there by early tomorrow morning."

"Hm-hm," Goku said as he undressed in the street.

"Goku! What are you doing don't change out here! Go in the plane's bathroom for crying out loud!"

Slipping his new pants on he asked "Why Yamcha? I'm already halfway done."

"Ugh, nevermind Goku... just get your shirt on and come inside."

Once everyone was buckled in their seats Yamcha turned on the plane. The loud start of the engines was followed by the comforting and continuous humming sound. Gohan sat by the window this time and he watched the towns lights grow smaller and smaller as they reached cruising altitude. Despite having just woken up from a long nap he felt tired, he realized it just as his eyelids began to grow heavy. He thought back to his father's story. He heard his deeper and more soothing voice start the first line,

_In the land of giants, a small boy walked._


	26. Chapter 26: Baba's Pricey Fortune

It was finally reaching the twenty-two-hour mark and Yamcha couldn't be any happier. Everyone had fallen asleep hours ago, even Puar his trusty copilot, had nodded off before the half-way mark, leaving him alone with only his thoughts for company as he guided them safely towards Baba's palace.

The deserts bright morning sun was a constant irritant for him, to the point where he had to put sunglasses on despite the plane's heavily tinted windows. After shifting the pair onto his face he spotted, off in the far distance, a lake that seemed to pop into existence, carrying three circular buildings and two pyramids on top of it. Yamcha smiled as he guided the craft towards it for a better look. He gazed upon the green four platformed palace and felt a wave of relief, he had made it the whole way without falling asleep. He lowered the craft into a nearby dune and activated the landing gear. When the wheels finally touched the sand he let go of the control wheel that he had gripped so tightly for so long and leaned back in his seat.

He breathed an exhausted sigh, he had been up for thirty-two hours straight and it was taking its toll on him, but there was no time to rest. They needed that information on the dragon ball as soon as possible.

He took off the noise canceling headgear he'd worn since he got on the plane and laid it on the console. He regretted taking it off almost immediately when he noticed Krillins obnoxious snoring. He swiveled his chair around to see Goku and Gohan sleeping peacefully next to each other despite Krillin practically yelling in his sleep.

_I don't know how those two managed to sleep through that noise, it's downright painful._

He stood from his seat and threw the sunglasses on the console. "All right everybody we're here! After twenty-two long hours of flight, we're finally at Baba's Palace!" Yamcha said, walking up and down the short aisle. "Wakey, wakey! Up and at em'! Let's go get that dragon ball!"

Upa, Gohan, and Goku all got up with relative ease, but Krillin was a different beast entirely. With considerable effort, eventually, the small monk sat up in his seat and joined the rest of the crew in the land of the living.

They exited the plane and entered the heat of the mid-morning desert. Yamcha led the way over the dune they had landed behind and when they laid eyes upon the lake it was like a beautiful blue oasis, springing out from the lifeless yellow landscape. The group approached the palace and took to the back of a short line that had formed at the entrance building.

A small pink ghost had noticed them and traveled to the back of the line for a formal greeting. Goku smiled and approached the being first "Hi, this is fortune-caller Baba's house right?"

"Why yes this is Fortune-Teller Baba's Palace." the ghost patiently responded, mindful that he was just a child and perhaps didn't know he was degrading the title of the great and all-seeing Baba. "Are you six together?"

Yamcha stepped forward "Yeah, we're all together."

"Marvelous, wonderful, wonderful... Just stay right here until I call you." the ghost said before floating back into the entrance.

The group waited for a while, seeing a few happy customers leave the estate with smiles plastered over their faces. Oddly enough many of the customers leaving seemed to be wealthy and for Yamcha, it added some credibility to Baba beyond Master Roshi's voucher. Soon they were second in line, the only people left in front of them was a large group of muscled men who charged in as soon as the ghost allowed them through the check-in station. Within only minutes the men came out bruised, one even came out holding his broken nose in an attempt to stop the bleeding. The ghost over-enthusiastically waved as they left the entrance. "You six follow me, Baba will see you now."

"Wait, what happened t-to those guys," Yamcha asked nervously.

The ghost gave him an empty smile and giggled, "Come along, come along, she is in the main building."

The group reluctantly followed the ghost through the entrance building and along a stone bridge that led to the large palace center. Gohan lagged behind everyone, he had never seen Baba's palace before and enjoyed looking at the serene waters below the bridge. They were calm and clear, quite similar to his spring; however, the water at Baba's didn't carry the same feeling of cleanliness as the water there did. He saw he was falling behind and caught up to the group before anyone noticed his absense.

The ghost hurriedly shoved them into the large and foreboding structure that was only lit by candlelight. Slowly a crystal ball floated down from the ceiling of the empty dome-like building. As the ball floated downwards it became clear that on top of it was a small elderly woman wearing a dark robe and long pointed hat. She smiled warmly as her guests gathered around her "Oh my, quite young visitors I have today."

"So your fortune-seller Baba?" Goku asked

"Fortune-Teller Baba ,child, Fortune-Teller Baba."

"Great! Can you help us find something we're looking for?"

She tapped her crystal ball beneath her "Why yes I can. Anything lost I can find."

Krillin whispered to Yamcha "You know for being such a creepy lady, she's actually kind of nice."

"Of course there is a...small fee for my trouble. Before taxes and with Baba's bargain coupon it will be roughly em, ten million zeni."

Goku whispered to Gohan "Jack is that a lot?"

"For us Goku, yeah it's a lot, but Capsule Corp makes that in under a day so if we ask Bulma we might be able to afford the fortune."

Baba recognizing Gohan nearly fell off her ball from surprise. "W-what in the world are you doing here?!"

"M-me?" Gohan asked.

"Yes, yes you what are you doing here?! You aren't supposed to be-"

"I'm sorry!" Gohan said trying to stop her before she said something that would expose him "I mean... I'm sorry for last time."

"You two have met before?" asked Yamcha.

Baba, unnerved by this unexpected development replied, "Y-yes, he came looking for information on his father... He received his fortune at a reduced price because I have a soft spot for the particularly unlucky; however, I am yet to receive payment for uhm, for said fortune."

"Right, right, I am working on it," Gohan said.

An awkward silence filled the room.

"Yes, well since you six are all together I will consider your debt absolved Jack...that is, if you participate in the payment of this fortune."

Yamcha intervened "That may be a bit of an issue ma'am because we don't have the ten million Zeni needed for a fortune-telling."

"Don't fret young man. We have alternative methods of payment here. Come, follow Baba." the old woman said as she directed her crystal ball towards one of the many exits of the main building. She led them across a stone bridge, identical to the one they first crossed, over to a large sandstone platform. "This is your battlefield. Here is how it works: I have five spectacular fighters that you will fight. This will be a tournament-style competition where one of your team members will face one of mine up until either you win or I do. The prize for winning is a free fortune-telling and of course the absolution of all of Jack's previous debts."

Krillin was relieved, he had envisioned a far more sinister price for a fortune than a tournament and considering how well he did at the World Martial Arts Tournament he felt rather cocky "Well lady you are looking at three semi-finalists of the World Martial Arts Tournament" he pointed over at Goku "and the runner-up. So bring out your fighters, we promise we'll go easy on em'"

"Feeling confident despite only having four fighters? Very well, I assume you will be going first then Krillin?"

Krillin exaggeratedly stretched out his shoulders "I think I will thank you."

Baba motioned her hand to the sandstone arena "Very well step onto the platform and prepare to meet Fangs the Vampire!"

Krillin stepped into his corner and on the opposite end, a bat landed and morphed grotesquely into a tall, pale, shirtless man with oddly long canine teeth that protruded from his lips. He stood there shielding his eyes from the harsh sunlight.

Krillin wasn't impressed by the physique of his opponent, he was far lankier than any martial artist he went up against during the tournament, even the monk. "Come on you don't expect me to believe this twig an actual vampire do you? Wouldn't he have already burned up in the sun?"

"The tales about vampires have been greatly exaggerated but I assure you I am the real deal." Fangs said with an increasingly unpleasing inflection.

Krillin stood firm in his stance, "All right then! Make your move!"

Fangs walked slowly towards Krillin with his teeth exposed and an unsettling, confident grin across his face. He stopped two feet short of Krillin and without warning kicked him as hard as he could. Krillin blocked the kick but couldn't avoid being hit by the vampire's fist that was thrown in tandem with a second kick. Krillin jumped back and Fangs did not pursue, he was already sure he had won this match.

"Y-you just got lucky that time pal, you won't get lucky again."

"I disagree!" Fangs yelled as he transformed into a bat and began circling Krillin. Trying to keep up with the nimble bat Krillin swung his fists in the air continuously missing his tiny opponent. When Fangs was sure Krillin had become disoriented enough he flew just a few feet above him and dropped on top of him. He smashed his elbow onto Krillin's bald head ensuring his incapacitation and then, he threw him from the arena. Krillin landed in the water completely unconscious and would have sunk had Gohan not already dove in to pull him out.

Baba was pleased, Fangs did better than she expected him to. "All right, I suppose that makes it three on five now does it not?"

Yamcha conferred with Goku and a now soaking wet Gohan, "Well Krillin didn't do too well so I think I'm going to go next. I can literally feel myself falling asleep over here and considering I've already been up for over thirty hours I want to get my turn over with quickly. You two hang back and enjoy the show all right? I'll make quick work of this tacky vampire."

Goku and Gohan nodded and Yamcha walked up to the stage

"Ok Fangs looks like I'm your opponent and I want you to know it's gonna' take a lot more than your cheap bat tricks to beat me."

Fangs seemed unimpressed by Yamchas bravado and began the same slow approach he had done with Krillin. Fangs again stopped just a few feet in front of Yamcha and stood still. Yamcha waited for his attempt at a kick or a punch but nothing came so he decided to make an attack of his own. He swept at the feet of the vampire causing Fangs to transform into a bat. Once he transformed he attempted the same disorientation technique that he used on Krillin but Yamcha refused to try and trace him, he stood perfectly still, not even turning his head as the bat flew around him.

Fangs, believing Yamcha was incapable of keeping up with him, dove around him a couple of times trying to bait out a response. Once he felt confident that Yamcha was outmatched he flew above him and morphed back into his human form. Yamcha kicked the falling vampire back down onto the arena and charged at him. "HA! Got you now! Wolf Fang Fist!" Fangs barely stood back up before the rapid-fire punches broke through his thin and weak skin. He was riddled with deep cuts and scratches before the force of the many strikes ejected him from the ring. He landed into the water polluting it slightly with his foul acidic blood. He surfaced, completely baffled by Yamcha's strength and in disbelief that he lost.

Yamcha looked over the edge of the sandstone arena with his arms crossed. "What goes around comes around, wouldn't you agree Fangs?"

Baba was overjoyed, Yamcha had proven himself a capable fighter and a great entertainer "Wonderful job my young man, wonderful job. Now that the warmup match has ended I'll bring out the real fighter."

Baba snapped her fingers but nothing happened. Yamcha smirked "So is the next fighter too scared to come out after what happened to his friend? I would be too after witnessing strength of my Wolf Fang Fist."

"Oh you misunderstand Yamcha, your opponent is already here, he's invisible."

After just having fought a vampire Yamcha knew better than to doubt what she had told him. His cockiness disappeared and he stood in his stance and focused, trying his best to figure out a way to beat an unseeable opponent. Soon it became clear to him that he was incapable of concentrating. Whether it was the adrenaline or the sleep deprivation that kept him from formulating a plan he didn't know, but he did know he'd need some serious luck if he was going to stay in this fight for very long.

"Let the match begin!" Baba said excitedly.

Yamcha began to sweat, the heat of the sun bore down on him like a heavy weight. He stood still, trying his best to listen for any sign that his opponent was on the offensive. Suddenly he was struck and punched in the stomach. Falling to his knees he used this opportunity to sweep the floor with a kick. He connected with something and heard the opponent hit the floor as well. Yamcha stood up and backed away from the center of the arena slowly. The sun's heat coupled with lack of sleep made him weary but he tried his best to stay observant.

Gohan watched from the sidelines and anxiously waited for Yamcha's next move. He could sense the invisible man's energy and wanted nothing more than to tell Yamcha exactly where he was but he kept silent.

Krillin had finally woken up and joined in the viewing. After seeing Yamcha get kicked around for a few minutes Krillin had come up with a plan "Hey Goku, you still have that flying nimbus?"

"Yeah Krillin but how's it gonna help Yamcha in his fight?"

"Don't worry, I think I've had an idea!" Goku and Gohan listened intently as Krillin explained, "So Bulma said she was heading back to the city right? And she'll need some way to get there so she'll be traveling with Master Roshi, flying his plane. West City is somewhere passed this desert and they couldn't have started there journey any sooner than an hour after we left so they should be only a little ways north of here. What I want you to do Goku is to go get the two of them and bring them back here."

"What do we do when they get here Krillin?" Gohan asked confusedly.

"I'm gonna keep that a surprise because if you knew what I have in mind you might try and stop me," Krillin said with a sly grin on his face. "How long do you think it'll take you Goku?"

"No time at all Krillin, I'm on it!" Goku said before calling the flying nimbus.

Gohan stood wondering what it was Krillin had planned on, he hoped desperately that whatever it was would work.

Yamcha was now glistening in the sunlight, covered with a thin layer of sweat and brandishing new bruises dealt out by his invisible opponent.

_Man am I in trouble. There's gotta' be something I can do here right? I just have to think. _

_I can't see him and I can't flail around aimlessly hoping I hit him, I'll just tire myself out if I do that. Hm, maybe...maybe if I tune everything else out I can hear him._

He closed his eyes cleared his mind, letting everything fade away until there was nothing but him and the arena left. He could hear him, clear as day he could hear his bare feet stepping along the sandstone. He traced the sound to his left but he knew it wasn't close enough yet, he waited and listened to the steps increase in volume. He swung his fist, hitting what felt like the upper arm of his opponent. He continued his attack hitting his stomach then a collar bone than a femur. He hit different parts of the mans body collecting information and forming a mental image of him from head to toe. Once the picture was complete he ferociously attacked where he figured the man was the most vulnerable. He beat the man viciously until he heard Goku's voice break his concentration.

"Krillin I got them!" Goku yelled, carrying Roshi with one hand and Bulma in the other while piloting the flying nimbus.

Yamcha opened his eyes and heard his opponent drop to the floor, he quickly jumped back to his corner of the arena and stood in his stance, trying not to be distracted by his friend's conversation.

"There better be a good reason for this Goku! My dad is gonna be pretty upset that I'm not there to help him!" Bulma said angrily.

"I promise there is. Krillin has a plan to help Yamcha win his fight and he said he needed your help."

"My help? What am I going to do?"

"I don't know, he said he wasn't going to tell us."

Krillin saw the pieces fall into place: Roshi was looking at Bulma, Bulma was looking at Goku and Gohan was watching Yamcha, now was when he would make his play. He stopped short when he heard Baba speak from behind him.

"You know your a conniving one Krillin. Your plan would have worked had Yamcha not already beaten my fighter."

"What do you mean? Yamcha beat him?"

Baba pointed towards the farther end of the sandstone ring "Yes, he's laying unconscious on the other end of the arena but I wanted Yamcha to sit in suspense for a bit; I wanted to see what he would do if he wasn't attacked for a prolonged period of time. It's just a little experiment for my own amusement."

"That's pretty messed up lady. You knew what I was about to do and still waited this long to stop the fight."

Baba wagged her finger at Krillin "You're one to talk, taking advantage of my brother like that! You should be ashamed of yourself."

"Master Roshi's your brother?!"

"Yes, yes what a twist...how else do you think he could afford my services? He may have his own island and martial arts school but he sure doesn't have any money. Now come along, we must reconvene with the others before I get a headache from their bickering."

Baba floated to the center of the ring and announced Yamcha the winner as her fighter was now incapable of carrying on with the match. Yamcha broke tiredly from his stance and walked off the stage to meet with the others.

"So Krillin what's this brilliant plan of your to help Yamcha?" Bulma upsettingly inquired "He sure looks like he handled things by himself."

Krillin rubbed his shiny head "Trust me Bulma you'd only get more upset if I told you it."

"Well since Goku took us straight out of the plane to hurry back over here I guess I'm sticking around for a while. I doubt Oolong or Launch know where Baba's palace is so they'll probably just end up flying back to Kame House."

Baba floated over to the stone bridge they had traveled across and garnered everyone's attention "Good to see you brother. You missed my birthday again."

"Happy birthday..." Roshi stammered out.

"Well thank you, a little belated but it will do. Ok everyone, for this third match I think a change of scenery is required. Follow me, we must travel back across the bridge and through the main building in order to get to this very special arena."

The group reluctantly followed the elderly woman back across the bridge only to find themselves walking across another one. Collectively, they entered a dimly lit building with a long staircase. At the base of the stairs, a stone skull carved into the wall watched them begin the climb. They continued up the stairs until they reached a white stone tiled platform. Before them was an uninviting wooden door with a brass handle in the shape of a skull and to the right of that a new, narrower set of stairs.

"Everyone enter through this door except for you Jack. You and I will travel up the second set of stairs, we still have some business to discuss."

Although wary, the group went through the door, all except for Goku. He stopped, letting the creaky door close itself. He was reluctant to leave Gohan, something told him he felt uncomfortable being alone with her "Baba is it alright if I stay with Jack?"

"No Goku you must go wait with the others, he and I have important details about payment to discuss."

"O-okay." Goku reluctantly replied. He opened the wooden door and entered the room, closing it quietly behind him.

Baba led Gohan up the stairs and opened a secret door carved into the wall that the staircase was built around. The interior of the secret room was lavishly decorated with soft red carpeting and gold-lined boiserie walls. He took a seat at the table in the center of the room and waited as Baba floated to the opposite end of the table.

"You know considering everyone in otherworld has been talking about you and your predicament I suppose I should have expected a visit from you."

"Why's that?" Gohan asked, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"For information of course."

Gohan eagerly shifted his chair closer to the table. "Do you have anything that could help me?"

"Yes I do and just because I like you I'll tell you it for free."

"Thanks, Baba. So what's the news?"

Baba stepped off from her ball and stood on top of the table caressing it while staring deeply into it "Im getting a glimpse at your friend Doctor Gero...he's on the move and his past self is accompanying him on his journey... They are carrying equipment, tools from the looks of it... hm that's odd..."

"What's odd, Baba?"

"They seem to be moving out of a laboratory... They are deep within a mountainous region... There's snow on the ground."

"Do you know where they're heading?"

"No, the crystal is fogging, I can no longer see them." Baba suddenly felt light-headed, perhaps she strained herself a little too much. She climbed back onto her crystal ball before speaking once more, "In my younger days I could sustain an image for much longer. I'm sorry Gohan but that's all I can show you."

"I really appreciate it, Baba, you didn't have to help me. The information you've given me isn't useless either because if he's moving then that means he isn't working on androids which is good news for me."

"So sweet you are. Come along Gohan the others are waiting. I have a feeling this next fighter will best that tenacious Yamcha, then we'll see just how tough your father really is."

Gohan was confused "You mean I won't have to fight?"

"Oh heavens no, I never had any intention of you fighting. It wouldn't even be close to a fair match. Your father, however, should last at least a couple of minutes."

Gohan could see the woman's confidence in her fighter, her small ki radiated with assurance which moved Gohan to protest "I wouldn't be so confident if I were you. From what I've seen of my father he can definitely beat anything you throw at him."

"Is that so? Well, we will see Gohan, we will see," Baba said before opening another hidden door, "After you."


	27. Chapter 27: The Devil's Pit

Gohan walked through a slim dark corridor, Baba floating closely behind. As he stepped the walls came closer and closer in until they just graced against the edge of his shoulders. Abruptly the corridor ended.

"Push on the wall Gohan, it will open into the room containing the rest of the group." Baba said.

He gently touched the stone wall, ice-cold as it was, and it slid open. The two entered the room and Yamcha approached Baba. "Now that you two got your talk out of the way I think it's about time I got to meet this third opponent."

"Not so fast Yamcha. Wouldn't you like to hear about the arena you are about to fight in?" Baba floated to the edge of the room and looked out its large open window into the Devils Pit. "Magnificent isn't it? These two demons took years to carve and were very expensive. I even paid a pretty penny for the acid at the bottom of the pit."

Yamcha worriedly peered over the edge of the window. All the way down the massive abyss there was a foamy green liquid that glowed brightly. "You mean that stuff down there's t-toxic?"

"Oh yes, absolutely, I paid top dollar for it. Now if you'll look at the demons you'll see they both have their tongues sticking out, that is where the fighting will take place. The same rules apply as before except now you face certain death instead of a ring out." Being the sister of the Great Master Roshi, she knew how to let the tension build in her audience and she waited for the implications of the arena to sink in. "Of course, If you're not up to the challenge I can offer you an alternative..."

"What's the alternative Baba?" Yamcha asked, attempting to maintain confidence in his voice.

"You quit and leave the challenge up to your more capable companions"

Yamcha despite being concerned about the sludge was insulted by her underestimating him, especially after he had just bested her first two fighters without overexerting his tired body. "Pft, no deal lady. If it's my turn, it's my turn. I'll fight whatever monster you've got cooped up in there."

"You don't seem to know what your up against so as a reminder, you can quit at any time during your match. I won't think any less of you than I all ready do"

Yamcha replied, "Baba if there's one thing you should know about me it's that I don't quit."

Baba smiled and tapped the wall of the room, a large square portion of the wall lifted and opened access to a corridor that curved out of sight. "Then go right this way, it leads to the demons."

Yamcha nodded and walked into the corridor and out of sight. Baba closed the secret door and the group watched Yamcha come out of the left demon's mouth. He stood on the tongue in anxious anticipation for his opponent, he wondered just what kind of fighter she planned to throw at him.

Bulma, Goku, Gohan, and Krillin all leaned over the edge of the stone windowsill followed shortly after by Master Roshi, Upa and Puar. The old man stood closely to Gohan before taking in a deep breath and releasing it. The boy could tell he was nervous, apparently, this next opponent was as tough as Baba made him out to be.

The old woman rose out over the pit on her crystal ball and chanted: "Rise again and be restored once more. Rise again and be restored once more. Rise again and be restored once more!" A thick layer of mist extruded from the right demon's mouth covering the right side of the room. Baba merely snapped her fingers and the demon sucked the mist back in. On the base of the right tongue was a pharaoh's coffin, it was dusty but the gold plating still shined through.

"What's that?" Goku asked.

Bulma squinted as the remainder of the mist cleared from the coffin and receded into the demon. "It's a s-sarcophagus"

"A sarca-what?"

"It's a coffin Goku, it holds people who have passed away. This one specifically seems to be a Pharoah, an ancient and powerful ruler who lived long ago." Gohan said, surprised that his extensive reading about the pharaohs and their long and powerful reign all those ages ago actually paid off.

Roshi wiped the sweat from his bald forehead and he realized he had waited too long to stop the match "I'm sorry everyone but... Yamcha can't win. Over the years many have beaten the first two fighters but never the third. I just hope that when the time comes he realizes just how outmatched he is and gives up."

"He must be super strong."Goku said, his tail wagging lightly

Although Goku tried to contain his excitement, Gohan could tell he was itching for a chance to fight. The way lowered his head and rested his chin on the windowsill, the look as he was staring at the coffin, and the unconscious foot-tapping told him just how eager Goku was for a chance to test himself. It reminded Gohan of the time chamber, when he had just learned how to go super saiyan, it was the first time his father really had to exert some effort in their sparring. Gohan remembered how proud his father was of him after that first super saiyan sparring match. From that day onward Gohan craved to see that eager look, again and again, pushing himself harder in order to keep up with his incredibly strong father. Seeing that look now, as Goku stared at the gold-lined sarcophagus, filled his stomach will butterflies. He was excited because he knew his father loved a good fight, but if no one has ever defeated this third opponent could he do it?

Baba rose both her hands and she roared, "Now arise my mummified warrior! Arise and be restored one time more! I beseech you!"

Yamcha stood in his stance, his heart pounding from the theatricality of it all. The ground shook beneath his feet and the top of the sarcophagus opened a smidge. Four fingers wrapped in a dusty yellow cloth grabbed onto the top and pushed it to the side, seemingly with ease. A very tall figure stood from the coffin, covered completely in the cloth that reeked of mustiness and age. He straightened his neck and his youthful but stoic face became visible.

Goku yelled over to Baba, "Hey this isn't a fair fight! He's injured, look at all those bandages!"

"Those aren't bandages Goku, he's a mummy." Gohan said, minding his tone to sound compassionate rather than accidentally condescending.

"A mummy? What's that?"

"A mummy is someone wrapped in linen cloth to preserve their bodies after they've died, but I've never read about one of them being as big as this one is. Baba must really know her stuff to find somebody like him."

"Oh...gotcha' " Goku understood what Gohan had told him, just like he did most of the time, but wrapping someone in cloth to preserve them sure seemed like an odd thing to do. "Thanks, Jack." he said with a smile.

Baba, with her crooked grin that lacked many teeth, intruded, "Heh heh heh...finding him was the easy part, all I had to do was look into my crystal ball with a general idea of who I was looking for and poof there he was. The real trouble was actually collecting him. You see, he was buried deep within the sands of the desert, so deep in fact that I had to hire whole companies of archeologists to help dig him out. When I had finally recovered him, brought him here to my palace, and restored him for the first time he passed every test of strength I gave him. A marvelous specimen indeed." Baba clasped her hands excitedly "Now enough of my rambling," she said before turning the ball to face the fighters "Yamcha are you ready for the match to begin?"

Yamcha hadn't broken his stance since the figure stepped from the coffin, and kept his eyes on the creature while he answered, "Ready as I'll ever be."

Baba clapped and rubbed her hands together. "Very well, let the match begin!"

The mummified figure stretched, cracking each joint individually. He looked so calm and relaxed, it was like he had already determined his victory. Yamcha refused to charge at him during his stretches, attacking an unprepared opponent was dishonorable even if they were toying with you. When the mummy had finished he let out a low pitched grumble, signifying his readiness. Yamcha stood silent, he was planning.

_I've gotta' be careful with this one, he's big but probably not fast. If I'm quick enough I can probably dodge his first attacks and hit him with a wolf fang fist before he can react. I just have to be careful, mind my footing and keep moving, no staying still with big ol' bandages over here otherwise he'll clobber me._

Yamcha smiled, with glimmering white teeth. "Alright, you big stack of toilet paper! Let's see what you've got!"

He charged forward as did the mummy and the two met at the end of the tongues. Yamcha was surprised as he was barely able to keep up with his opponent's incredible speed, he glanced up panicking at the towering mummy's sly and evil grin. He didn't even have time to react before he was elbowed to the face and falling from the ring.

He turned in mid-air and attempted to grab the edge of the stone tongue, his fingertips just barely touched it but he couldn't get a grip and continued to fall. He felt an incredible pressure around his wrist, the mummy had caught him. Horrified and confused he looked up into his stoic face before the mummy threw him back onto the left demon's tongue.

"Get up, we're not finished. I have slept for far too long to let you die so soon. Come, young warrior, let's play."

Yamcha struggled to stand, his jaw was pounding after that elbow but he took solace in the fact that he hadn't used his best attack.

"Yeah, let's play! WOLF FANG FIST!" Yamcha yelled and he ran towards the mummy with impressive speed. His hands strung lines of silver behind them and nearly glowed with focused energy, it was by far the most powerful wolf fang fist he had ever used up to that point. He rained down upon the mummy like a storm, hundreds of punches in mere seconds but none of them were connecting. The mummy danced around his attack like it was nothing and tripped Yamcha with an outstretched foot. As the young warrior fell the mummy leaped into the air and smashed his knee into his abdomen. He stood and back away a few steps allowing Yamcha to wallow in pain for a moment.

"Get up! I don't want to hear your grovelling! You have much more in the tank to fight with." The mummy said before giving Yamcha a half-hearted kick. "Don't tell me you've already given up."

Yamcha coughed up a mouthful of blood and smiled, "Don't worry...I haven't" and he swung his legs around knocking the massive undead man off of the tongues.

The mummy made no attempt to grab onto the edge of the arena nor did he scream for help as he fell. He was utterly silent. Yamcha pulled himself over to the edge to watch the final moments of his opponent, he did this out of respect for him, tripping him wasn't the way he wanted to win, but it was the only way he could have. He looked into the face of the mummy who seemed eerily calm as he sunk deeper into the pit, an odd and sickening grin suddenly manifested from him and he threw his arms upwards spewing cloth from both hands. The yellow cloth spun around the demons' tongues halting his free fall. To Yamcha's surprise, it only took a second for the mummy to throw himself back up onto the ring. "Nice try but I'm a little more resourceful than you are. It will take more than that to defeat me."

Yamcha managed himself onto his feet only to be brutally knocked down again. On that floor where his bruised cheek laid against the cold grey stone something burned inside of Yamcha, it wasn't pride but sheer will and determination. He knew he could no longer win the fight, not in his condition, but he could fight until the very end. Using his arm as support he again pushed himself onto his wobbly feet, his vision was now blurry and he couldn't make out the exact positioning of the mummy despite his massive size. He stumbled towards him and threw as many punches as he could, exhausting himself in the process. The mummy dodged most of the attacks with relative ease and the few that he didn't dodge didn't have enough force to hurt him.

The mummy could see the strength of his spirit, it reminded him of himself long ago, when he was young. He regretted toying with Yamcha and decided to rectify his misdeed the only way he knew how. he hit Yamcha in the face discombobulating him and lifted him up by the shirt. "You are a strong young warrior. Physically you are beaten but mentally you still persevere and for that I respect you; however, I'm afraid that if you can't surrender I'll have to kill you. My solemn promise to you is that I will make it quick. That toxic pot of soup down there is your best shot, it will burn for a second but after that should be painless."

Bulma screamed from the room overlooking the Devil's Pit, "Yamcha! Give up! Please!"

He swayed Yamcha over the pit and waited for a moment, not to enjoy his victory but to see the reaction from Yamcha. He wanted to see if he was the warrior he believed him to be or if he would crumble and surrender. He was relieved to see Yamcha kick his jaw in defiance, he had a true warriors spirit. The mummy released his grip and watched as Yamcha fell, his view was cut short as a red pole caught Yamcha by his white sash belt.

"Good thinking Goku!" Bulma said with great relief in her voice. Goku carefully pointed the pole upwards and Yamcha slid down it and into the room. He plopped onto the floor like a fish out of water, the only difference being he was completely still.

Gohan stayed back as everyone crowded around Yamcha. He felt bad because realized in most engagements it was always Yamcha to be beaten first. He flipped open the leather cover on the satchel that Upa had given him searched through it. He pushed the dragon balls around for a moment until he uncovered his white pouch of senzu beans. He took the bag out and counted eight senzus in total. He took one out and stuffed the pouch back into the satchel before walking over to Yamcha. He knelt down and offered the bean to him, Yamcha looked confusedly up at Gohan as if it were some kind of cruel joke. "Here Yamcha, take it. It's a special bean that heals you. They aren't very tasty but they're miracle workers."

Yamcha reluctantly ate the bean and felt his strength rapidly return to him. He was back on his feet before he had time to realize it. "Wow, you weren't kidding those things really are miracle workers. Where'd you get those?"

"A place called Korin's tower, it's where Upa's from." Gohan said

"Man I'd order a whole truckload of those. I feel like I could go another ten rounds with mister bandages over there, not that I'm stupid enough to try that. Speaking of which, Goku."

"Yeah?" Goku replied while glaring at the mummy intensely.

"I know you're eager for a fight but please be careful. Nothing I did had any effect and I'm worried not even a kamehameha will be enough to take this guy down."

"You don't have to worry Yamcha, I won't lose."

Yamcha worriedly asked, "How can you be so sure?"

"I won't lose." Goku said, eyeing down the behemoth of an opponent that waited for him in the stone arena. "Baba open the door please."

The old woman did as he asked and opened the door revealing the dark corridor. Goku almost stepped through but hesitated, "Jack could you come here?"

Gohan sensed the confidence that radiated off of his father like the heat of the sun, but it did nothing to reassure him that he would win. He warily walked over and Goku took out the four-star ball "Keep this safe for me, I don't want to risk dropping it while I beat this guy."

Gohan forced a smile, he opened the leather satchel and flipped open the top, he patted the bag and said, "Ok Goku, I'll put it in the satchel with the rest."

"Could you put it in your gi, Jack?"

"Sure Goku but why?"

"We've looked for grampa's dragon ball for so long, I just want it safe. And I know if you have it, right there in your gi, It will be the safest it could possibly be." Gohan stuffed the ball away on the left side of his gi in accordance with his father's wishes, that was when Goku noticed Gohan's knees were shaking. "There's no need to be worried Jack, I'll win. I promise."

Gohan hated how scared he felt. He knew his father was strong but was he strong enough to beat the mummy? During the fight, Yamcha's ki almost went as high as Goku's when he fought Tao. How is he was so sure he'd win? Had he gotten stronger since the raid on the Red Ribbon Base? Gohan waited in silence as Goku turned his back to him and walked into the dark corridor, he walked around the bend and disappeared, reappearing a moment later out of the demon's mouth. Gohan walked to the window placing his hands upon the sill, his heart beating rapidly.

"So, you're my next opponent?" The mummy impatiently asked.

"I'm your last opponent." Goku replied.

"I suppose in a way you are. You're the last of your group to fight and the last to lose."

"You know that's not what I meant."

The mummy's raspy voice let out something akin to a chuckle. "Very well boy, let's see your strength."

Goku didn't move, the didn't even put himself into a stance, he stood with arms at his sides and eyed down the mummy once more. There was no emotion visible on his face, no fear, anger or angst, just focus.

The hulking mummy was suddenly frozen, that firey stare had completely penetrated his focus and rendered him unable to move. He frantically began planning offensive tactics but in every scenario, he saw himself losing. Goku's stare was like salt pouring into the mummy's mental wounds, painful and burning. The bandages around his face filled with sweat, something he didn't even believe was possible anymore. The child that was roughly a third of his size now towered over him, he shot the cloth from his arms panickingly spinning it around Goku. He double-layered, then triple-layered and then quadruple layered the cloth around Goku to ensure no possibility of escape. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finished that fourth layer, no man he'd ever known could break through even one layer of his cloth and four, well it was impossible.

Goku continued his piercing stare as he began struggling against the fabric bonds.

"D-don't be stupid kid, there's no way you can break through that." His warnings went unheard as Goku continued to struggle. A small tear formed on the outermost layer and it widened until all four layers were shredded, he left the torn cloth draped across the floor. The mummy backed away "S-stop, stay where you are! Don't come any closer!"

Goku took a few steps forward, making it to the end of the left demon's tongue before the mummy charged at him. Gohan felt his father's ki skyrocket way passed Yamcha's, and even passed Master Roshi's. In one massive gut punch, the mummy was unconscious. If that one-punch knockout wasn't enough to restore Gohan's confidence in his father then nothing was. As a matter of fact, he seemed invincible, like not even Cell could touch him. He cheered along with the rest of the gang as Goku dragged the mummy back to its coffin and returned to the base of the left demon's tongue.

Baba, although thoroughly surprised, did not seem worried. "Very well done Goku."

"Thank's Baba! I think my eyes were getting tired from all that staring though, they're watery."

"Will you please wait as I bring out the next opponent?"

"Sure, that's fine."

Baba floated into the right demon's mouth and did not return for a few minutes. By the time she got back, Goku was sitting on the floor waiting patiently for his next foe. She exited the demon statue with her hands clasped together, she floated to the center where the demons' tongues met and spoke, "Come forth Spike the Demon!"

A tall but not necessarily built man strolled out onto the right tongue. His skin was a variety of periwinkle and his deep purple form-fitting suit had holes cut in the back for his wings, he seemed unhappy to be wearing it."

"Spike? That's a silly name." Goku said.

"Well, it's no odder than yours, you cretin." Spike huffed.

Baba glanced at the two as she sat in the center of the arena on her floating crystal ball "Are you two ready?"

Both gave an affirmative nod.

"Then begin!" she said and her ball backed rapidly away from the arena.

Spike flapped his wings and rose into the air, he wanted to begin the match with his signature air dive, an attack that utilized his two greatest assets: his sharp claws and his wings. He dove at Goku, claws first only to be kicked to the floor. He stood up quickly and ran at Goku swinging his claws as fast and as ferociously as he could, but as hard as he tried Goku was always one step ahead, easily dodging Spikes attacks and inserting one of his own. He jumped and uppercut the demon sending him flying into the wall of the Demon's Pit. Spike slammed into the wall cracking one of the hollow bones in his left wing causing him to groan, the pain was bearable but it shouldn't have happened to begin with, his opponent was just a mere child! He flew back to the right demon's tongue using mainly his right wing and haphazardly landed. He caressed and inspected his wing. "You little bastard! You cracked my wing!"

Baba rolled her eyes and floated closer to Spike "Not to put any pressure on you but you had better win this!"

He waved her away, "Relax Baba, he hasn't even seen the best of my techniques just yet!" He called over to Goku, "Hey boy, do you want to know what the most destructive force in the world is?"

Goku, confused as to why his opponent chose now to talk to him rather than at the beginning of the match like the mummy, responded innocently "Hm...sure why not?"

He brought his hands together in a triangular shape and extended his wings "It's negativity. With this Devilmite Beam, I am going to take all of your negative emotions, your fear, anger, hatred, jealousy, and aggression and turn them against you."

Baba was surprised, she didn't know Spike had a technique like that.

Roshi screamed from the sidelines "STOP! Baba, you must stop the fight!"

She floated over to her brother "Hm? Why should I stop it?"

"Because that Devilmite Beam isn't going to just hurt Goku! It'll kill him! I've heard stories about spike that come from long before you added him to your roster. I've heard the stories of the Devilmite Beam, it takes all of your negative energy and literally blows it up while it's still in your body!"

"Well I'm sorry but in the Devil's Pit death is a possibility and I can't stop the fight unless Goku forfeits it."

Roshi pleaded, "Please there must be something you can do!"

"I wouldn't worry Master Roshi," Gohan said, injecting himself into the conversation. "Goku doesn't fight with any negative emotions."

"Y-you mean he has no negative thoughts during combat? No doubts or fears or anything?"

"Not a single one." Gohan said with complete confidence. He admitted to himself that yes, previously he did have doubts about his father's strength but he refused to believe that he fought with anything but positivity. In every battle he'd ever seen, his father had always offered the other side a chance to leave, to walk away peacefully, even Frieza. Even when he'd beaten him, he still offered him a chance to live and gave him some of his own energy. How could anyone like that fight with negative emotions?

Roshi turned in silence to watch as the demon prepared his attack, he had confidence in what Gohan had told him but that didn't mean he wasn't still worried about his student.

Spike rose the pointer and middle fingers of both his hands and thrust his arms in Goku's direction. A pink spiraling beam shot out and encapsulated Goku, with a gleeful, confident laugh Spike yelled "Darkness explode!" and all the pink surrounding Goku phased into his body.

Goku looked at his hands and feet, observing that nothing happened "That was really pretty. Next time could you try blue? I really like blue."

"W-what kind of freak are you? You carry absolutely no negative emotion while you fight? What the hell even drives you then?"

"I don't know...I just like fighting."

"What do you mean you just like fighting? That's like saying 'I just like pain'! Nobody likes fighting, there has to be a reason for it. Like for example, say I kill your friends, then you'd fight me using anger as motivation, you are telling me you have nothing like that?"

Goku brought his hand to his lip, externally pondering, "I mean I fight sometimes to protect my friends but I don't think I get mad while doing it."

"That's not what I-" Spike paused as his hand slid down his face. He growled to himself "I need a vacation."


	28. Chapter 28: Only Goodbye for Now

"Not that I didn't like the lights, but can we go back to fighting?" Goku asked impatiently.

"Don't you mock me!" Spike said while clenching his fists angrily "You know very well we are fighting!"

"But you haven't even moved from there yet... How can we fight if you don't move?"

Spike rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand, not only did his head ache but his brow was slick with sweat and he felt uncharacteristically nervous. Luckily, he still had an ace up his sleeve that he hoped would help even the odds between him and his young adversary.

"Fine then, why don't we begin the battle proper?" Spike said before reaching behind his back and pulling out a pitchfork far too large to be hidden behind himself. "With me stabbing you full of holes."

The demon lunged at Goku who easily dodged his lethargic attacks, they were slow not only because Spike was physically weaker than Goku but also because his wings had sustained more damage than he originally thought. Lunge after lunge Goku dodged his attacks and waited for an opening. Spike read this as having Goku on the ropes and increased the ferocity in his attacks, that was until Goku grabbed the pitchfork and snapped it in half. Shocked, Spike gazed at the half of his weapon that was still in his hand before being knocked to the floor by a punch to his left cheek.

"You shouldn't be using weapons. That's not fair or nice of you to cheat like that."

Spike felt his cheek already begin to swell. He knew it was going to bruise and caressed it gently. It was at that point he weighed his options: Continue the battle and risk more damage to not only his body but his pride; give up and call it quits, or perhaps trick Goku into believing he's quitting. Yes, that's it, he decided he would use Goku's inherent goodness as a weakness. He raised his hands in the air. "You're right, I'm sorry! I give up!"

"You give up? But we just started..." Goku said disappointedly, dropping his guard in the process. Seeing his opportunity, he tried to kick Goku off of the tongue but his leg was caught before it even got close to kicking him. Goku was unsurprised that Spike had tried to trick him, his experience with Tao taught him that enemies can't be trusted even when they seem like they're giving up. He socked Spike in the jaw knocking him out immediately. Carefully, he picked him up and brought him to the right demon's mouth, even though he couldn't trust his enemy he could at least show some kindness in bringing them to safety, away from the poisonous pit. He walked back out shortly after and gave a thumbs up to his friends, "Only one more to go Upa! We've got this!"

Baba rubbed her hands together anxiously if her last fighter couldn't perform she feared she might actually have to give out a fortune entirely for free. "Yes Goku you've done very well thus far but just wait until you see my fifth fighter!" She turned her back to him and muttered, "Maybe then you won't be so confident."

Gohan watched Baba disappear back into the right demon's mouth, his heart was still beating rapidly, the worry for his father had completely dissipated but the adrenaline that came with it still remained. He was so surprised at how strong his father had become in such a short amount of time. Compared to his performance at the world martial arts tournament it was like watching someone entirely different.

When Baba returned to the Devil's Pit she guided an elderly man wearing a white cat mask to the edge of the tongue, standing him just feet away from Goku. He was by in no means intimidating, apart from the mask he looked like any regular guy. Before she could float away the old man grabbed onto the edge of her robe "Excuse me Baba but can I ask a favor of you?"

Baba rolled her eyes. "Ergh, depends, what would it be?"

"Could we please fight outside? It's dreadfully cold in here and I think my old bones will perform a little better if I'm outside in the sun. It would mean the world to me if you could grant me that." The man asked as he stroked a long mustache that peaked out from the edge of his mask.

"Yes, well I suppose you do deserve that much." Baba mumbled "All right Goku, you may return to your friends. The final match will be held outside in the Grand Arena."

Goku nodded and stood staring at the old man as he passed him, walking slowly towards the left demons mouth and the corridor back to the others. Goku caught a whiff of the old man's scent as he passed, he smelled oddly familiar but Goku couldn't figure out how he knew that smell no matter how hard he tried. Goku walked silently back into the room and when he reentered Krillin and Upa were the first to greet him, Gohan would have welcomed him too had he not noticed that Goku was keeping his eyes solely on the old man. He turned to see the elderly fellow shuffle over to the wooden door that led out to the long staircase.

"Great job Goku! I'll admit I got a little worried after that big mummy guy pummelled Yamcha but you took care of him and Spike in no time at all! Looking at this old geezer I'd say it'll be as easy as pie beating him!" Krillin said enthusiastically.

Goku took a step forward as if he was going to stop the old man as he closed the door gently behind him. Still looking at the door, Goku eventually responded, "T-thanks Krillin"

Krillin couldn't place the look on Goku's face, usually, it was pretty simple to figure out what he was thinking, his expressions were usually very simple and honest, but Krillin struggled to figure out why he was so distracted. "What's the matter Goku, you aren't tired are you?"

Goku finally looked at Krillin but it was obvious his thoughts weren't collected yet. "No, I'm good, just surprised I think. That man seems nicer than the other fighters."

"Well, you're right about that. Maybe he's just a temporary for Baba. I doubt an old man like that likes fighting very much."

Roshi stepped close to the boys, gracefully adding himself to the conversation "I wouldn't be too sure of that. I've never seen this fighter before and knowing Baba I'm sure she's saved the best for last."

"I guess you'll just have to find out won't you?" Baba said with a mischievous grin, startling her younger brother, "Follow me, everyone."

The old woman floated over to the door, leaving it open behind her. Everyone followed Baba although, at a distance, only Roshi followed close behind her. Gohan noticed Goku fall behind as everyone began walking down the stairs. He approached him cautiously, "A-are you ok Goku? You seem really bothered by something."

"Jack have we ever met that old guy before? Maybe somewhere near Bulma's house in that big city? Or maybe sometime in that old town in the desert?"

"I'm not really sure. Why? Do you think he's someone we've fought before?"

"No, it's not that. He just smells so familiar, it's weird but... he makes me feel comfortable." Goku said before making his way over to the staircase, followed shortly thereafter by Gohan.

In no time at all, they caught up with the rest of the group and collectively made their way out into the sunlight. Everyone shielded their eyes as they adjusted to the bright daylight, apparently, the indoors of the Devils Pit was darker than they thought.

Gohan kept an eye on the elderly man, oddly enough he agreed that he did feel familiar but he couldn't figure out how he knew him. He looked over the old man, again and again, his black pants, black shirt, and orange vest with a yellow oval design printed all over it was so distinctive, and yet, he knew no one who wore such clothing. He trailed behind his father who seemed to be analyzing the man as well. Gohan, tired of the enigma, tried to feel out the old man's ki for clues, perhaps he would be feeling nervous before the fight, perhaps confident. Surprisingly, Gohan didn't feel confident or nervousness but sheer overwhelming joy, pure happiness, and it was all bottled up behind that silly cat mask. Another oddity to add to the list.

When the group finally reached the grand arena they were somewhat disappointed, it was the same as the original sandstone arena they had fought in except it was significantly larger. The old man climbed up onto the sandstone arena and extended his hand out to help Goku up, and although thankful, Goku pushed himself up on his own. The two stood in the center of the ring and Baba began to explain the rules, "All right you two, this will be the final match! The rules are the same as all of the other matches and the first to be incapable of continuing the fight loses. Speaking of losses, if by some chance Goku does win this match then your group will receive your fortune and you will receive it cost-free." she said. "Now, if everyone is ready, you may begin!"

Despite still being perplexed by the mystery surrounding the man's identity, Goku stood firm and ready for whatever he could throw at him, he was caught off guard when the old man simply bowed to him, he felt oddly obligated to bow as well.

"You are a very respectful young man, I have the feeling if your friend with the wolf fang fist was facing me he might have already demanded my surrender!" the old man said struggling to keep in his laughter. "But it's ironic that I am now going to ask you the same thing. Goku, would you be willing to surrender?"

Goku lifted his head from his bow, "Would I what?"

"I asked if you would be willing to surrender."

"I'm sorry-sir...but I can't." Goku felt odd apologizing to an absolute stranger. "I need this fortune from Baba to help find the last dragon ball. That's the only way I can help my friend Upa see his father again."

"Ah, so that's why you came here. I should have known it was under noble circumstances." He rolled his sleeves up past his forearms before getting into his stance "Well then try your best, that's all that you can do."

"Thank you, I will," Goku said respectfully before getting into his stance.

The two stared at each other for a moment. Goku was observing the stance the old man was in, it looked so familiar like he'd faced someone who'd used that exact stance before and not just once, but hundreds of times. The first punch from the old man came out, instinctively Goku misdirected it, and then a kick came, Goku ducked beneath it like he'd seen it a million times before. Continuously Goku dodged the man's attacks easily for reasons even he didn't understand. Something just told him exactly what was coming next. Suddenly the man switched his pose, but Goku recognized this one, it was his own. A lightning-fast kick to his jaw sent him flying back, skidding across the sandstone floor over to the opposite side of the ring, it was flashy but didn't hurt Goku too much.

Goku got back on his feet, the old man waited for a rambunxious counter-attack but instead, Goku took it slow, he was far more patient than the last time they sparred, time seemed to temper him. "Very good Goku, very good! Now let's see how you handle a kamehameha" the old man said, readying a blue ball of energy in his palms. "Ka-me-ha-me-HA!"

In the few short seconds it took for the beam of energy to reach Goku he was deep in thought, he noticed that the odd comfortableness he felt around the old man hadn't lessened, in fact, it grew as he barely dodged the blue wave of energy. His opponent's tactics, personality, and disposition all seemed so familiar, it almost reminded him of his grandfather. Goku used his momentum from his dodge to propel himself into a run towards the old man. When he was within striking distance, Goku jumped and floored the old man in a powerful chop to his right clavicle, he could tell he broke it after he landed back onto the sandstone.

The old man grabbed his shoulder, his reduced range of motion with that arm would make it almost impossible to maintain the upper hand on Goku, the young boys' clever nature almost made him giggle but the pain kept his laughter in check. As he laid on the ground the sun blinded him and so he used his left arm to shield the only part of his face not covered by his mask, his eyes. He realized he had lost.

"I tried my best," Goku said before standing in front of the sun and reaching down, offering his hand to help the man up, "But so did you, it was a great match."

The old man raised his hand but instead of grabbing onto Goku's hand he instead grabbed onto his tail. Goku felt his strength begin to leave him, starting with his legs, he fell to the floor like he was overtaken by an awful plague.

"I'm sorry kiddo, but I always told you to train that tail of yours. I knew it would get you into trouble someday." The man said, although Goku wasn't listening, the pain was too great for him to focus.

"P-please...let go of my t-tail...I really hate...when people grab it...it hurts a lot"

"I'm sorry Goku but I can't, you have to give up in order for me to do that."

"But I can't...Upa needs me." Goku said in a soft voice nearing the volume of a whisper.

"Well then, I'm sorry my boy but I'm gonna have to force you to quit." He said with a depressed sigh. "Let's get this over with."

From the sidelines everyone held their breath as they watched Goku be flung around and smacked into the floor, no one took it harder than Gohan, who was in disbelief that the man had figured out Goku's tail was his weakness. Every slam and smack against the arenas flooring filled Gohan with a wave of seething anger, the mystery behind the man didn't matter to him anymore, his father treated him with honor and respect and still, the man tricked him and took advantage of something Goku had no control over.

"Master Roshi can't we do something!" Gohan asked.

The old man adjusted his sunglasses and shook his head, there was no way they could interfere. "I see you haven't figured it out yet." He said, leaning in closer to Gohan "That's your great grandfather, Gohan."

"What?!"

"Yes I had trouble figuring it out too, it seems Baba has used some sort of magic to hide his halo, helping to better hide his identity."

"B-but Dad always told me Gohan was an honorable fighter, he would never use an underhanded move like grabbing his tail! And even if that's Grandpa Gohan how come Dad never told me about meeting him here?"

"Well Gohan, your father is very sensitive about his grandfather. Before you showed up I hadn't heard a word about him from Goku. Perhaps he never told you because he doesn't like talking about it, maybe he didn't need to because his love for you filled the hole in his heart after his grandfather passed."

Gohan placed his hands upon the sandstone, he hated it but he just had to wait until his father gave up. He took solace in that if anything his father told him about his grandfather was true then he couldn't hurt him too much.

After five minutes of continuous slamming, the elderly Gohan's arm began to tire, a consequence of only being able to use his non-dominant arm. "So Goku, are you willing to give up yet?" He loosened his grip a little on the tail to give Goku more energy to speak. "I think I may have pulled a muscle with that last one hehe..."

Goku rolled onto his back to look at him "I-I can't...give up. Upa needs me." He gave a feeble kick to his opponent's arm which sadly got him nowhere.

"All right then Goku. I'm sorry but I'm going to have to throw you around some more then." he said. He tightened his grip on Goku's tail, again immobilizing him, and began to throw him. He was surprised as he heard a loud pop and only held a long furry brown tail in his grasp.

"OW! YOU TORE OFF MY TAIL!" Goku screamed. He backed away from the old man, his body ached but he backed away feeling reinvigorated now that he had no tail to be grabbed onto. "That wasn't fair at all! Why'd you do that?!"

"Oh, I- uhm. Oh, dear..." Grandpa Gohan adjusted his mask and studied the detached tail, he was relieved to see Goku wasn't bleeding but it didn't stop him from feeling terrible. "I'm sorry Goku, I think I will forfeit this match now."

"You're just saying that! Spike said the same thing and you're trying to trick me just like he did!"

"No, no I mean it, I surrender. I've used up too much energy during our battle and my arm is in no condition for me to continue." He held the tail out in front of him guiltily "I am truly sorry about the tail Goku but how many times did I tell you to train it? I mean it must have been in the hundreds."

Goku recognized that lecturing tone in the old man's voice, now more than ever before. The height, the build, the scent, the clothes, the fighting style, they were all his grandfathers. The old man took off his mask and his large yellow halo became visible. Goku could hardly believe it, behind that mask was his grandfather's long, white and well-kept mustache, his pronounced but soft and rosy cheeks, and of course his soft and caring smile. It became hard for him to swallow as his vision blurred and the tears welled up. "G-G-Grampa!" he yelled as he ran over and wrapped his arms around his grandfather. While still sobbing he said, "Grampa! Grampa! I missed you so much! W-where have you been all this time? I-I thought that monster got you grampa! I looked everywhere, all around Mount Pouzu but I couldn't find you anywhere!"

"Careful Goku not too tight! I may pop haha!" the old man wheezed gleefully.

Gohan gazed over from the sidelines. Master Roshi already had explained what was really going on and it touched the entire group's hearts, even Yamcha seemed to get a little emotional. For Gohan it seemed to be one shock after another, he never expected, not in a million years, to see his father sob like that, not even for his grandfather.

_Daddy...your crying... I've never seen you cry before. It must have been horrible for you to live by yourself for so long. No wonder you didn't tell me about you meeting your grandpa here, you didn't want me to worry about you missing him._

Gohan wanted nothing more than to rush over to Goku and hug him, to comfort Goku as he had done for him so many times, but he knew these weren't tears of sadness, they were tears of joy and he decided he'd wait. He didn't want to ruin the moment between the two.

"I missed you so much Grampa!" Goku said, still holding on tightly to the old man.

"I missed you too Goku, but would you mind if we went and greeted your friends? Master Roshi seems to be accompanying them and I'd like to say hello if I could."

"Of course Grampa!" Goku said. He wiped away his tears before grabbing his hand and leading him over to the group.

Roshi stepped onto the sandstone using his wooden staff to help himself onto the platform. "It's been a long time Gohan, you look a little older than the last time we met."

"And you haven't changed a bit, master."

Roshi stroked his beard "I see you copied my stache...although you could do with a little hair on the chin."

The old man fluffed the edges of his long white mustache and grinned "I see it as more of an improvement on your classic look."

Roshi shook his head and laughed. "So Gohan, I assume Baba let you come back so you could test Goku's strength. What do you think?"

"I think you've done wonderfully in training him. He's stronger than I ever hoped he could be and I'm pretty sure if I didn't get hold of his tail he may have broken more than just my collar bone."

"Well, I'm pleased that you're happy. Oh, and before I forget, I wanted to ask how long you have to stay? I'd enjoy catching up with you at Kame House."

Goku tugged on his grandfather's vest rather anxiously "What does Master Roshi mean Grampa? Y-you can't stay forever?"

"Well Goku, I'm sorry, but I can't stay forever. See this halo above my head?" He pointed to the golden ring floating only inches above his shiny bald cranium. "I have to go back to otherworld in just a few minutes. Baba is a busy lady and it took her a lot of negotiating to get me down here for this long as it is" He could see Goku's shoulders slump a little, "But before I go could you introduce me to your friend over there?"

It hurt to hear he couldn't stay but Goku forced a smile and led his grandfather over to Gohan.

"Grampa this is my friend Jack."

Gohan extended his hand which was eagerly shaken by the old man "Nice to meet you, sir."

The old man observed the similar features on the boy, he was as handsome as his grandson and he could tell by looking at him that he was just as kind. "So good to finally meet you, my boy, I worried I wouldn't get the chance." He knelt down and looked at the stitching in the blue gi that Gohan wore, he recognized his high-quality threading immediately. "And your in such fine clothing too! I see you and Goku have been on quite the adventure so far; I've got a feeling you still got a ways to go, so keep your chin up."

Gohan knew without him even saying it, his great grandfather was talking to Gohan and not Jack. "Thank you...That means a lot"

"No, no, no thank you for keeping my grandson out of trouble. His journey to West City could have gotten much more complicated if you hadn't guided him, not to mention the countless times your input has helped him make the right decision."

Baba tapped a small silver watch that revealed itself from her robes. "I...honestly do hate to interrupt this touching moment but I am running on a schedule here and the line near my palaces entrance grows by the second."

"Of course." the old man said, raising himself to his feet. He playfully jutted his jaw out towards Gohan. "Remember chin up!"

Gohan smiled at his silly remark.

He suddenly felt a tug on his vest again "Hm, what is it Goku?"

"I just want to say Grampa that I'll miss you and I want to let you know I'll keep training and getting stronger every day."

"I know you will Goku, it's in your blood." He ruffled his grandson's hair affectionately. "I also know that goodbyes are tough, especially for you Goku, but I'm only saying goodbye for now. One day, one day far off into the future we'll meet again, but in the meantime enjoy your friends and make some memories. I'll want to hear all about them later."

Goku nodded "Ok Grampa, I will!"

Baba slowly floated over to Grandpa Gohan and asked, "Are you ready to go?"

He nodded, "I am."

Everyone gathered around as the old man got ready to leave. Gohan could see how badly Goku wanted his grandfather to stay, it became more obvious in his tone when he spoke. "Goodbye Grampa."

"Goodbye Goku." said the old man before becoming translucent and then disappearing entirely.


	29. Chapter 29: A Promise Fulfilled

For the first time that day, the wind began to pick up, bringing with it some granules of sand and flinging them across the lake and onto the sandstone stage. Goku stared at where his grandfather last was and with a mixture of emotions, as well as battle fatigue, taking their toll on him. Eventually, he had to place his hand on the floor to sit down. He only broke his gaze when he tilted his head forward and placed it into his hands.

Roshi adjusted his sunglasses as he, Krillin, and the others watched from the sidelines. He sensed Krillin's desire to get on stage and he placed his staff in front of the boy as he tried to climb on. "No Krillin now is not the time. We must wait."

"But master I-"

Roshi tapped him lightly with the staff and swayed it towards the stage. "Shh, look."

Gohan crossed his legs and sat beside Goku, keeping silent as he did so. He waited a moment before reaching into his gi and retrieving the four-star ball placing it just in front of his father. The wind gently rolled the ball until it touched Goku's leg, and Goku placed his palms on the floor in front of him, looking longingly at the reflective orb. He lifted a now sand-covered hand and picked up the ball, placing it carefully into his gi.

Gohan scooted closer and placed his hand on top of his fathers "I know how much you cared about him Goku. I-it's never easy losing someone you love." He paused and gave a light squeeze to Goku's hand. Goku looked up to him and Gohan could see how wet his eyes were. "But I know how it feels. You don't need to be so strong around me. You can cry if you need to."

Goku placed his other hand on Gohans and squeezed lightly before releasing it and hugging him. "Not now Jack, I can't cry now. Not when we're so close to getting Upa's father back. I just need to be strong until then."

"Okay Goku, then let's go hear what Baba has to say."

Gohan helped lift Goku to his feet and walked him over to the old woman who, despite her earlier impatience, looked quite pleased while waiting for them to finish up their conversation.

"Baba?" Goku asked.

"Yes, Goku?"

"Could you show us where the last dragon ball is?"

"Why I'd be happy to. Gather everyone around and I will begin the telling." She said while attempting to shuffle off her crystal ball.

Goku waved for everyone to come up onto the stage and soon everyone was gathered around Baba, waiting for her message. She motioned her hands around the ball and the sphere grew cloudy as if it had a hundred rainclouds stored within its glassy interior. "Yes, yes I see. The final dragon ball is held inside of a red automobile traveling along a highway...Hmm...it's close... I'd say roughly 60 miles east."

Goku smiled and turned to Upa "You hear that Upa? Only a little while longer until you get to see your father again. I promise."

The small native boy smiled back, the excitement radiating off of him was almost palpable.

"Well, how's Goku gonna know what car to look for? There could be dozens of cars along that highway. It'd take hours to hail each on over and check for the dragon ball. Not to mention the people who have the ball probably won't give it up so easily." Yamcha said doubtfully.

"Oh finding the right car will be the least of his concerns, that highway is abandoned. It's been so for years. The only ones traveling along it would be people that don't want to be found."

"That's good," Goku said. "Jack and I will get the dragon ball and be back in no time."

"Are you sure you don't want Yamcha and me to come with you Goku?" Krillin asked. "You've lost your tail; are covered head to toe in bruises; and need Jack to hold you up, how well do you think you'll be able to fight?"

Slyly using Gohan to initially stay balanced, he pushed himself into a walk towards the edge of the stage and gave a thumbs up to Krillin "I'm good, see? We've got this." He cupped his hands around his mouth "Flying Nimbus!" And the cloud appeared in its usual timely fashion, lowering itself to the height of the stage so Goku could gently step, instead of having to jump, onto it.

Gohan joined him on the cloud and the two waved goodbye to the group, at least for the time being. Once they were within the safety of the air and heading east, Goku laid back on the cloud, both his spine and ribs were aching in long and nearly constant waves and laying down on his silky cloud sounded appealing, to say the least.

"Goku, I have some senzu beans left from Korin, I think you should have one." Gohan said while reaching into the satchel.

"How many are there Jack?"

Gohan untied the bit of string that held the top of the pouch holding the senzu beans and said, "I've got...about seven."

"All right."

"Here you go," he said, dropping the bean into his father's palm. Goku ate it and immediately his wounds were healed, but Gohan noticed there was still something off with him. "D-do you want to talk about it Goku?"

"I don't know if there's much to talk about Jack. Grampa raised me, ever since he found me in the woods. He took me, just a random little boy with a tail, to his home, and gave me everything I have. My name, my power pole, my training, he gave me everything." Goku reached around his back feeling where his tail should be. "After he died I lost my only family. Maybe that's why I want to help Upa. I want to help him because no one deserves to be left alone; because Upa deserves his family just like everyone else does."

Gohan couldn't even begin to explain how much he agreed with him. He wanted to explain just how much he understood the loneliness and the need to help others, the hope that someday if you help enough people it will make being alone at least bearable, but he knew he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't come clean.

"What about yours Jack? When are you going to go back to your family?"

"My family?" Gohan asked. "I-I don't know if I want to go back Goku."

"Why not?"

Gohan rested his palms in on one another and twiddled his thumbs. "I don't think they miss me, Goku," he said. "My mom has been forcing me to study since my dad died and my grandpa doesn't come around too often, he's always busy with his hobbies, or shopping, or some other thing." He stopped moving his thumbs and held his hands tightly together. " I think they loved me at one point but I don't think they do now. I don't know if I've ever felt loved since y... since my dad died."

"Don't say that, of course they love you. I don't know how anyone couldn't. You're the kindest most caring person I've ever met besides my grampa. I'd be happy to have a brother like you."

"R-really? I mean that much to you?" Gohan asked unsurely.

"Absolutely. And, Jack?"

"Yes, Goku?"

"I think after we bring Upa's dad back to life I'm going to go back to my Grampa's and if you really don't want to go back to your family then you can come stay with me."

"That sounds great Goku I-"

"But only if you talk to them first."

"What?"

"I think that if you talk to them, Jack, they'll tell you how much they love you. But, if they don't then I would be happy if you'd come stay with me."

Hardly ever did Goku say anything so rational and sensible. Gohan, despite knowing his father all of his life, kept finding himself astounded by his ability to be completely oblivious one second and entirely knowledgable the next. He figured he could probably just disappear for a few days, snoop around Gero's abandoned lab, and then pop back in claiming they didn't want to see him; in fact, that plan sounded really good, he had been wondering why Gero would up and leave his headquarters so randomly. Perhaps in the time that he's gone he could figure out where the mad scientist plans to journey next.

"I'll talk to them Goku I just don't think they'll really listen to me." Gohan said.

"I hope they do Jack, but in case they don't I'll make us a really big fish dinner when you get to Grampa's house."

"Thanks, Goku, that sounds wonderful." Gohan said just before spotting the dark remains of a long stretch of highway "Hey look that's it!"

Goku quickly guided the nimbus over to the highway and continued following it east, Gohan sensed the three tiny energies and told Goku that whoever had the dragon ball were probably smart enough to go away from the six others.

It didn't take them long before the desert gave way to rocky soil and hilly terrain which made the long highway more winding and less straight-forward. The two hovered high above the hills so visibility wasn't a problem, they could see every single bend and curve of the decaying asphalt road and sure enough, they see a little red car pulled off the to side just a mile ahead of them.

They bring the cloud down just behind the trunk of the car and step off of it. They walk around it to see a dog in a purple jumpsuit trying to remove the rear left tire from the vehicle, apparently, they had a flat. Before getting the chance to ask him anything the back left door opened the dog was knocked to the ground.

"What is taking you so long Shu?! We've got to get the ball back to the base before those nit-wits at Baba's figure us out!"

Shu sat up while holding onto his snout and spotted Goku and Gohan standing just behind the car. Goku obliviously waved hello. "E-Emperor Pilaf I think it's too late. I-It's those kids again."

Pilaf slid off of his leather seat and stepped out of the car "What are you talking about you imbecile? There's no way anyone could have found us yet!"

Shu averted his eyes from Pilaf and simply pointed at the two boys which eventually prompted Pilaf to turn around. He made no sudden movements and backed away from the car slowly. "Oh, Goku, it's you. W-what might you be needing from us?"

"Hey Pilaf, Jack and I just need the dragon ball so if you could give it to us I would like that very much."

"Mai step out of the car." Pilaf commanded. The long black-haired woman stepped out of the driver's seat of the vehicle and stood to the right of Shu. "N-now Goku I think you should know I am not going to just hand the ball over to you..."

"Why not?" Goku innocently asked.

"Because I don't want to! And even if you tried to take it from me you couldn't!" he said. "Not when we have our secret weapon. Mai, Shu, now!"

Pilaf reached into his pocket and retrieved a small green-labeled capsule which he threw over his shoulder. He ran into the smoke just as Mai and Shu did and once it cleared they were all in their own large custom mech suit.

Gohan was thoroughly unimpressed with their 'secret weapon'. It was obvious that the suits were meant to combine together based on their different sizes and shapes, which meant that while they were separated, they were much weaker. Not that they would pose much of a threat if they were combined, he knew both he and Goku could smash through them with ease.

Goku took only one step forward and wagged his finger at the group. "Pilaf I'm asking you nicely, please give us the dragon ball or we're going to break your robots!"

"You can try but you won't break a thing."

"All right then." Goku said before turning to Gohan "Hey Jack do you want to fight?"

Gohan thought carefully, he knew if he got his father busy with two he could probably rip the one he's working on apart before he would notice "It's up to you Goku, I'm pretty sure I can handle one of them if you get the other two."

"Okay Jack, sounds good to me." Goku said as he stretched his legs.

Gohan decided that he'd go for the pink one on the left, the other two weren't as large as it but they looked faster and might provide more of a challenge for his father. The machine charged towards him with its claws extended hoping to grab onto an arm or a leg but the systems were far too slow to keep up with Gohan. He dodged the robotic limbs and grappled onto the back of the machine. He tapped around the metal feeling for the thinnest part and when he found it he repeatedly hit it, eventually exposing some of the more delicate electrical components. He ripped out circuit after circuit causing the machine to lose control of its arms and legs. When it eventually toppled over he ripped off the cabin door to see a frightened Mai still gripping tightly to the controls.

"Pilaf has the dragon ball doesn't he?" asked Gohan.

Mai, completely speechless, only nodded yes. Gohan sighed and by the time he looked up from the mech, Goku had defeated the other two. He walked over to inspect his father's work, it was a bit more brutal than his, most of the spherical outside of the machines had been dented inwards and both Shu and Pilaf were removed from their cabins.

Pilaf sat on the ground, his small hat had fallen off his head and rested on the dirt as he did. He gave one good look at the black briefcase he held within his grasp before typing in the code and opening it. He reached into the case and reluctantly took out the one-star ball.

"I guess I should have given you the ball, maybe then I'd at least still have my mech suits."

"I told you didn't I?" Goku said with a sly grin.

Goku handed the ball off to Gohan and he safely stored it away in the satchel. The two hailed the nimbus and made it back to Baba's in hardly any time at all. Once they arrived they hovered at the edge of the stage where everyone gathered around to greet them.

"So did you guys find that red car and the dragon ball?" Yamcha asked.

Gohan flipped open the satchel and reached inside. "Yep, we got the one-star ball right here."

Upa stood next to Gohan and looked happily at the little orange ball. "That means we have all seven right? And I can see my father again?"

"That's right Upa so hop on and we'll go!" Goku said.

Bulma tilted her head "Wait where are you guys going?"

"Back to Korin's Tower, Upa's father is buried near there and we can't bring him back to life while he's by himself," Goku explained.

"Right, that makes sense. When will you guys be back?"

"Not too long from now I don't think the dragon likes being awake very much. We'll see you guys soon!"

The three waved goodbye to the rest of the group and headed on their way. Gohan could see the excitement plastered on Upa's face as the nimbus raised up and shot towards Korin tower, he knew Upa could hardly wait.

Soon enough they had reached the tower and began laying the dragon balls out. In no particular order, Gohan took out each ball and formed a hexagon with the six he had in the bag. "All right Goku, the rest is up to you."

Goku nodded, reached into his gi, and took out the four-star ball. He hesitated for a moment, it had taken them so much time to find all the dragon balls and he could hardly believe they were finally going to get their wish. However, it wasn't really their wish, it was Upa's and Goku believed he should be the one to place the final ball.

He held it out in front of Upa "Upa, are you ready to see Bora again? All you have to do is put the ball in the center and I'll call the dragon out"

"Okay Goku, I can do that!" he said, and then gently lifted the ball from Goku's hand. He placed it carefully into the center of the hexagon and then stepped back behind Gohan.

Goku took in a deep breath and yelled, "Shenron the Eternal Dragon I have a wish!"

At first the balls did nothing, they were completely motionless with no indication that anything had happened at all; then, suddenly,the sky grew dark and the dragon balls usually light orange glow began to intensify. The sky darkened further and the orbs began to float. Their collective light grew and grew until they were each like a mini-sun, burning so hot with energy that they turned completely white.

The ground shook beneath the boy's feet and a blinding yellow streak of light shot into the sky. As it flew through the air the light twisted and thickened in areas while thining and curving in others; eventually, the light dimmed and the green scales of the dragon became visible. A low growl came from Shenron and he looked towards Goku.

**I AM THE ETERNAL DRAGON AND FOR YOUR SUMMONING OF ME I WILL GRANT YOU ONE WISH. ALL YOU MUST DO IS ASK AND IT WILL BE.**

Upa cowered behind Goku, he wasn't expecting Shenron to be so intimidating, he certainly didn't look like any kind of dragon that would be willing to help bring his father back.

"Don't be scared Upa. I know he looks like he's not very nice but he will grant you your wish."

"A-Are you sure?"

Goku smiled. "I'm super sure. Remember what I said about Oolong and his wish?"

"Okay,w-what should I s-"

**I GROW TIRED OF WAITING. DO YOU HAVE YOUR WISH?**

"Just tell him you wish for your father back."

"Ok" Upa responded. "S-Shenron, could you bring my father back to life for me?! Please!"

**TRIVIAL.**

Shenron looked toward the dirt grave they had dug for Bora and his red eyes emitted an even more powerful red glow.

**YOUR WISH TO BRING YOUR FATHER BACK TO LIFE IS GRANTED.**

Upa ran over to the grave just as the dirt began to move. They had dug the grave very shallow for this just occasion and he eagerly moved as much off of his father at a time as he could. Bora's legs were the first thing he could see and they pushed off against the earth revealing the rest of his body. The towering native man took his time sitting up, his muscles were very stiff after not moving for so long.

**I WILL NOW TAKE MY LEAVE.**

The large dragon transformed back into the yellow light and shifted quickly back into the balls. Goku took his time in eyeing which one was the fourth and just as they were about to be spread across the globe he leaped into the air and caught it before they could disperse. When he landed he saw that Bora was now back on his feet, wiping the dirt from his clothing, and Upa was hugging his leg tightly.

Bora bent over to pat his son's head and to look at the two boys, who risked everything for him, in the eye. "Jack, Goku, I can't thank you enough. You not only protected and cared for my son but also brought me back to him as well. I don't know how I could ever repay you, but if you are ever in danger, or if you ever need me I will be here to answer the call."

Goku extended his arm to shake the man's large hand. "Thank you Bora, maybe Jack and I will stop by sometime soon to say hello!"

"Wait, you mean you're leaving already? Could I at least feed you first, you deserve that much."

"I'm sorry but we really can't stay sir, we have friends waiting for us at the moment." Gohan said.

Bora nodded "I understand... Thank you. For everything."

"Oh and I almost forgot," Gohan said, removing the senzu beans from the satchel and holding it out for Upa "Here's your satchel Upa, thank you for lending it to me."

Both Upa and Bora pushed Gohan's hand carrying the satchel away. "Jack, please take it, Upa and I have plenty of leather to make a new one. Consider it a small gift from us to you."

Gohan placed the beans back into the satchel, he hated to admit it but he actually liked having it around, especially because it seemed to be useful in the short time that he had carried it. "Thank you."

Gohan placed the strap over his shoulder again and Goku called for the nimbus. The two stepped on and waved goodbye to Bora and Upa before beginning the trip back to Baba's. When they arrived the sun was just beginning to set and the temperature in the desert was rapidly falling, so much so that Baba had her ghostly companion fetch her coat from the main building she patiently waited as Goku and Gohan were reconvening with the rest of the group. Very quickly, the topic of training burrowed it's way into their discussion.

"So Master Roshi now that everything's all wrapped up you think you can find the time to make me your pupil?" asked Yamcha.

"Well...I suppose I could make the time, especially since I am only actively training one student now."

"One student? But Master Roshi I'm your student too, with Yamcha included wouldn't that be three?"

"You're right Goku, it would; however, I have nothing left to teach you. You have conquered and surpassed every challenge I have ever thrown at you. The only way for you to become stronger now is to travel the world, learn from life as I said before."

Bulma had heard enough of Roshi's ramblings and intervened. "Well you don't expect him to just wander off to some random place, do you?! I mean where do you think he's gonna go?"

"I think I'm just gonna go home for now." Goku said.

Roshi wrinkled his brow. "Hmm, I'd recommend against that."

"Why Master?"

"Let me answer in the form of a question: how do you expect to get any stronger if you're just training around Mount Pouzu? As far as I know, hardly anyone lives up there and the creatures that do are practically harmless."

"Well, I don't know if I'll be alone. Jack might come stay with me and we could train together if he did."

Roshi turned to Gohan. "Jack, did you agree to this?"

"He offered after I talked with him about my mother and my grandpa. I said that they probably wouldn't miss me very much if I left and that's when he offered for me to stay with him. He also said that I'd have to talk with them first because he didn't believe they wouldn't miss me."

"That's awful Jack," Bulma said. "I'm so sorry."

Baba took a good look at the sun, it was clear that they only had a few short moments of light before the real cold begins. "Look it's getting dangerously chilly out here and the night is just beginning. Would you please move this conversation off of my palace? I've already arranged transportation for all of you excluding Jack and Goku...I assumed they would be taking the nimbus cloud."

"All right, all right. Goku, train well at your home. The next time I want to see you is at the World Martial Arts Tournament three years from now."

"Three years?! But Master that's so much time away from you guys!" Goku said.

"I know and the reason for the large separation is because I want you to train harder than you ever have before, which includes no flying nimbus. That cloud is a handicap that will only slow your progress down. And if Jack comes to stay with you I encourage at least once daily sparring. You know the turtle hermit way so embrace it, use every second as wisely as you can."

"Okay, Master I will!" Goku replied enthusiastically.

"Good, I'm pleased to see you're excited." Master Roshi turned around and motioned Krillin and Yamcha to follow him and Baba.

"I'll see you around Goku!" said Roshi.

Baba tightened the coat around her robe and stared at Roshi. "I assume you know I didn't call the cars for free, little brother."

Roshi waved his hand in dismissal "Eh, put it on my tab."

The group waved and quickly shuffled away across the bridge without noticing Bulma wasn't tagging along. She decided she wanted a minute to say goodbye and no old lady was going to be able to stop her from having it. "You know Goku I'll definitely make some time to drop by. Just because those guys can't come to visit you doesn't mean I can't. Hey and maybe I'll get the staff at Capsule Corp. to whip you up a feast!"

"Really Bulma, that sounds great!"

Bulma smiled, she didn't want to say goodbye to the two of them but eventually, she did. She gave them their proper goodbye hugs and reluctantly ran across the bridge to catch up with the others and start her long journey back to West City.

The sun had finally dipped below the horizon and the stars light up the sky. Goku and Gohan were the only ones left on the stage, Baba had retired to her quarters without bothering to kick them out, she knew they'd leave soon.

"So Goku, I guess...I'll be seeing you." Gohan said before turning to walk towards the palace exit.

"Jack wait," Goku said, grabbing his shoulder just before he could leave. "You don't have to walk home Jack, you can still take the nimbus. At this point, with how much we've been needing him lately, he probably likes you just as much as me."

"Okay Goku, but don't be surprised if I return him soon."

Goku frowned "I hope that doesn't happen. I hope that as soon as you get back home your mother is the happiest she's ever been, she should be after you've been gone for this long."

Gohan appreciated his father's optimism although his investment made the lie more unbearable. But then again it technically wasn't a lie, he really did feel like if he went home that day his mother would shuffle him off to his room without a word and he'd be right back to studying, just like always.

"Thanks, Goku." Gohan said, and then he took in a deep breath "Flying Nimbus!"

The cloud appeared obediently before him and he climbed onto it. He waved goodbye to his father and commanded the cloud to go north, but While flying away from the palace he sat backwards to watch the palace and his father shrink off into the distance and into the darkness of night.

Now that he was alone he could finally investigate what made Gero leave his lab in such a hurry.


	30. Chapter 30: Frozen Memories

It took the whole night but he had finally reached it: North City. It had been years since Gohan had visited there; it wasn't a place he liked to go, mostly because the people there weren't as friendly as those in South, West, or even East city. He peered over the cloud to look at the streets below him. They were practically empty with only a few orange coated civil workers out to salt the roads. He hesitated for a moment but eventually decided against making a day trip to the city, it was bound to be unpleasant.

He directed the cloud further north, against the icy wind that would threaten to freeze anyone not wearing proper clothing. Luckily, as long as he was super saiyan, his ki kept him warm. Soon the city was behind him and mountains towered in every direction. He knew Gero's lab was somewhere near there, he just needed to remember where to look. He scanned the area looking for a flat-topped plateau, slightly elevated above the normal terrain and only discernable from its brethren by the large hole that served as the entrance to an even larger cave.

Despite the increasing severity of snow, he eventually found the entrance and guided the nimbus towards it. He stepped off the cloud and walked into the cave, wary of what he would find.

The first thing he saw, besides the icy stalagmites that decorated the cave, was a set of two large steel doors. There wasn't a visible keypad for a password so Gohan figured it was most likely voice-activated, regardless of that fact, he could easily get through the doors, it just depended on how destructive he wanted to be.

After jamming his fist through the right metal door he used the hole he made to push it to the side. He stared into the utter darkness that existed beyond the door, surprised and concerned, he assumed that the power would at least be on.

_It's okay Gohan, just be brave. You're the only one here._

He stepped onto the cold metal floor, the light from his super saiyan energy illuminated it revealing that it was incredibly icy. Gohan looked to the ceiling, wondering what could have made the floor so wet. Once he squinted he could faintly make out the reflection of a long icicle hanging precariously from the ceiling

_Just a leak, it was just a leak. And it looks like the ice is only here near the entrance which means no one's tracked water through the lab. Hopefully, that also means no one's been here for at least a couple of hours._

Gohan stepped over the bits of the floor with the most ice and walked blindly around the room. He could only see about a foot in front of him, but thankfully, that was enough for him to figure out Gero's entrance led straight into the main laboratory. He decided that rather than try to dig around the room looking for clues in absolute darkness he would hold onto a wall and follow it until he either came across another doorway or came back to his starting point.

He walked while trailing his fingers across the cold metal wall until he felt what definitely was a doorway. He walked to the center of it but didn't move any further. He could faintly see the walls and ceiling passed it and he concluded that this was a corridor rather than another room. He took another step forward and began following the narrow corridor feeling for, hopefully, another doorway. His fingers slipped along the wall until he felt a sudden change in texture, the material had gone from a steel to a grainy wood. No doubt another door. After lowering his hands to his waist he found and turned the knob, the hinges produced a squeak as he opened it.

The floor of this room was undeniably carpet, he could tell simply by the significant increase in traction he had when he walked across it. With a quick glance about the dark room he didn't see much but he could tell there was no generator or breaker box in there. Before he exited the room he felt something slip past his leg, he crouched down hoping to see what it was, but the darkness hid it well.

Whether by accident or by some convenient luck he tripped and fell to the ground. When he pushed his upper body off the floor he could see the end of the corridor and the beginning of a staircase. He searched the wall for the hand railing and began walking down the steps.

_Perfect, this has gotta' be where the generators are._

As he stepped off the last stair he walked into something, he couldn't tell exactly what it was but it felt large, square, and lifeless. He ignored it and pressed on, bumping against a few larger instances of this anomaly along the way. He kept following the wall until he finally found a breaker box. He opened it and flipped the main breaker triggering the hum of distant, unseeable generators to begin.

White fluorescent lights flickered on and he could finally see what he'd been bumping into. He looked around the room to see a couple dozen empty crates stacked on top of one another. A few were labeled but it appeared that most of what was stored was just building materials like steel and aluminum.

He walked back up the staircase to the corridor, it looked shorter than he expected it to. He reopened the wooden door and flipped on the light switch. The carpet he felt earlier was dark green in color and the plaster walls surrounding it were some type of off white. There was a desk and three filing cabinets in the room, all of which looked like they had been rummaged through in a hurry. He slid a slightly ajar drawer of the filing cabinet out, opening it further. There were a couple dozen files left inside, just a bunch of random red ribbon faces with their names paperclipped onto the files. Perhaps they were potential subjects for future experiments or templates for new sets of androids.

Gohan closed the drawer and didn't bother with the other cabinets, that was until he saw something sticking out from behind one of them. He easily lifted the metal container and looked down at a few small sticks of half-eaten celery, all frozen solid at this point. He was confused by its presence in the room but left it be, he still needed to figure out where Gero was heading and that took precedence over this.

He exited the room and closed the door behind him, hearing another loud creak from its hinges. On the opposite side of the corridor he saw another room, he entered it only to be greeted by a couple dozen monitors stacked on top of one another, all offline and their computers missing. It became more clear to him that Gero and his past self had left in a hurry, they had forgotten plenty of HDMI and power cables.

_What are you planning Gero? You promised you would leave dad alone, but even if your word's worth nothing, you still have all that stuff from this base with you; you'd need a break to put it somewhere._

He stepped quickly out of the room, walking back towards the main laboratory. Once he entered the main lab it looked surprisingly stripped clean, aside from a couple papers scattered across the research desks. Near the back of the circular room he could see a faint blue glow and as he got closer he realized the glow was coming from a few glass vats no larger than his forearm. They were each frosted over, but as he placed his hand on one of them, the frost melted and revealed a hand. After observing the exposed metal bones sticking out from the half-formed fingers he stepped back, utterly disgusted by whatever sick science experiment this was.

He made his way over to the desks and picked up whatever papers were on them, creating a stack on one central table. He pulled up a chair, sat down, and sifted through each paper hoping to find something legible. Eventually he found something promising, and although half the sheet was covered in math and chemical bond diagrams, the bits and pieces that he could make out were extremely helpful.

In his writings Gero talked about the saiyan biology being more complex than anticipated, he elaborated on that by saying that even with the temperature-controlled lab, further construction of androids would need to be done somewhere warm and humid. The flesh just refused to take to the metal endoskeleton in the cold and high altitude in the mountains.

_So, he went south, probably to some type of jungle._

He flipped through more papers looking for a set destination.

_Augh, he doesn't say where he's going. There's no way I'll find him._

Gohan, slightly disheartened, set the papers down gently.

_Not unless he wants me to._

He stood up and pushed his chair in. Confident that he had found everything there was to discover, he walked back towards the laboratory entrance. He nearly walked outside into the cave but stopped in his tracks when he saw a metal door slightly hidden off to the left of the entrance. He approached it and slid the large handlebar, opening the door. Inside was a small hallway that split into two and at each end there was one entryway, he was slightly disappointed when both led to bedrooms.

Gohan walked into the one on the right which seemed more lived-in than the left, so he assumed it was the past Gero's. He searched the room finding nothing of value until he saw an old answering machine. The red light that blinked indicated that there was a message that apparently nobody got to hear. He hit the play button that sat on the lower-left corner of the device.

"Hey, uh Gero" The man paused, his raspy and cracking voice told Gohan he was tired. "Listen there's no easy way to say this...I'm sure you've already heard about the attack on the base but that's not really why I'm calling. Gero...it's your son, Gebo, he's dead. During the attack on the castle he got hit by some stray friendly fire, some rookie was trying to get a shot off on those two kids and wasn't looking at where he was aiming. He killed six men in all and before anybody could catch him he fled with the rest of the retreating troops and disappeared."

Gohan could hear the man shift his arm to rub his neck, he could faintly hear the anxious tapping of his foot on the floor. "I didn't know him but I knew his work. He always did his job with precision and efficiency. I suppose he got that from his old man." A few voices interrupted the man, informing him of something. "Okay, I gotta' go. Actually, before I do, I should tell you something: A couple of the higher-ups are scrambling for the bits of power and tech that are left in the base and not all of them are looking to work together. If I were you I'd start thinking about some new employment. The Red Ribbon Army's finished."

The message ended leaving Gohan some silence to ponder over what he had just heard. Almost subconsciously he wandered out of the bedroom and back to the carpeted office. He searched through the drawers frustrated by the fact that they weren't organized alphabetically. He flipped through file after file until he finally spotted Gebo's. He took out the yellow folder and flipped it open and inside was a photo of Gebo who looked nearly identical to Android 16.

_I-I can't believe it. You modeled Android 16 after your own son because you missed him that much? Was that why you were in such a hurry? To make sure your past self didn't hear the news and have to grieve like you? Was all of that stuff about wanting respect and reverence just a lie to cover up your real reason for hating my dad and me?_

Gohan opened his satchel and placed the file in carefully.

_But it wasn't our fault your son died. I hope that maybe one day you can accept that._

Feeling slightly melancholy, Gohan closed the filing cabinet and walked out of the room, too consumed by his thoughts to remember to shut the door. He walked through the corridor and back into the main laboratory, to the entry with its two massive metal doors. He slipped easily passed them and could hear the howling wind outside of the cave, he shivered despite being kept warm by his ki. That wind still frightened him and this time he was alone to deal with it.

He covered his ears at the edge of the cave and called for the nimbus which appeared quickly and lifted him up into the clouds. As he was flying away from the lab he recognized a relieving tightness in his chest, most likely just the subconscious stress of investigating wearing off. He felt like he had just gone into the lion's den and came out without a scratch, he hoped that his father could be proud of him for that.

Over the next three days Gohan would wait in solitude. Taking shelter in a nearby abandoned mountaineer cabin, he watched over the area around North City and Gero's laboratory for any potential sign of the scientist's return. He hoped that they forgot something important and one of them would need to retrieve it but sadly, no one came.

On the fourth day, he decided to stay in the cabin. He hadn't eaten much over the past few days, his skills in both foraging and hunting had diminished significantly since he trained for the saiyans arrival, and he felt rather weak because of it. Gohan spent the day dreaming about his reunion with his father; all the fun walks; the fishing trips, where hopefully he could rehone his skills; the entire year they would get to spend together before he would reluctantly have to go back home.

Gohan hoped that during that year Gero would just throw everything he could at him, exhaust his resources until, eventually, he'd have to face Gohan himself. Then maybe in that fight, he could settle things between himself and the old scientist. If this fiasco was good for one thing, it was changing Gohan's opinion of Gero. He hated him but he couldn't help but feel more sorry for him than he already did. He never had a father and he lost his only son, who wouldn't be cold after that?

He waited until roughly 6 in the afternoon, when the streets of North City filled with cars and people, to leave. He hopped on the flying nimbus and set course for Pouzu. He encouraged the cloud to hurry and it did so with pleasure.

He knew he was close when he saw the large snowcapped mountain, the countless trees, and felt the fresh cool air. He smiled as his great grandfather's small hut became visible in the distance. He missed home feeling this wonderful and couldn't wait to get on the ground and greet his father.

He landed the nimbus just outside of the hut, he could see Goku walking towards it carrying three large fish on his back.

"Goku!" he called excitedly.

Goku spotted him waving from the hut. In a moment of forgetfulness he smiled, but then he quickly remembered that Gohan's presence wasn't a good thing, it meant that his family had rejected him. He hurriedly ran the fish over to the smoldering campfire and dropped them before turning to talk to Gohan.

"Jack, what did they say? Did they really not miss you at all?"

Gohan heard the worry in his father's voice, he hadn't expected him to sound this concerned. It actually made him feel a little guilty for causing him so much stress.

"They...they didn't, Goku. It was like they never noticed I'd left."

"I'm sorry," Goku said before embracing Gohan. "I promise I'll make something nice for dinner. I have fish just over by the campfire, is that all right? Would you like something else?"

"It's ok Goku, I'm not that upset. And fish sounds great, that's what you promised anyhow."

Goku gently pulled himself away from Gohan "Okay then, I'll get to cooking them right now! You can leave your stuff inside if you'd like."

Gohan nodded, and as his father gathered up wood to rebuild the campfire, he walked inside of the hut to place his satchel down. Inside everything looked tidy and proper. The dressers drawers were closed tightly, the desk had its little stool neatly pushed in, and there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere in the room. He actually didn't know where he could place his satchel without feeling like he was breaking up the cohesion of it all. He opened the bottom drawer of the dresser and was pleased to find that it was both empty and capable of storing his satchel. He then deposited it inside and exited the hut, closing the double wooden doors behind him.

"It might take a while Jack, these fish are pretty big." Goku said.

Gohan looked at the mighty fire Goku had constructed and the aroma of the cooking fish was tantalizing to say the least.

"That's alright Goku, if it's as good as last time I can wait, " Gohan said as he took a seat next to the roaring fire. "Have things been good for the past couple days?"

"Yeah, Bulma stopped by to say hello, she said that Yamcha isn't taking Master Roshi's training too well. She said that he was complaining that by the time they're actually done training, he doesn't have any time to himself."

"Well I guess that's the price you pay for strength huh?" Gohan quipped.

Goku laughed, "Yeah, but he'll get used to it. After a while Krillin and I started treating it like a game: Whoever could do the work fastest wins. But, umm...you didn't really get anything for winning."

Gohan would have laughed in return to his father's small story had his stomach not rumbled. A light pain followed afterward, an unhappy reminder that he hadn't eaten in days. He put his hands to his stomach, which quieted after that.

"Hungry?" Goku asked. "I'll check if they're about ready."

Gohan waited patiently as his father stood and took one of the spitted fish off and opened a small cut through the flesh to see if it was cooked through.

"Yep, all done!" he said, grabbing the two others that were still over the fire. He handed Gohan the largest of the three and stuck the third into the ground, they would decide how to split it after they each got through their first.

Gohan tore into the fish, it was just as perfect as it always was. Tender and salty with some sort of tang from a spice he didn't recognize. Before he knew it he had eaten the whole thing, taking the spit it was on and breaking it in half to add it to the fire. After Goku finished his they agreed to split the third in half which was thankfully enough to appease their appetites.

Gohan, now full of food and weary from the long day, slid off the log he was sitting on and used it as a headrest. The sun had begun to set and he felt his eyelids droop as if in sync with it. But just before he could fall asleep he felt a nudge on his arm. He opened his eyes to Goku crouching near him.

"Hey, Jack do you want dessert? Grampa knew about this one tree nearby and it has the best apples in the whole world!"

Gohan smiled, he wondered whether or not Goku could be talking about their spring. As far as he knew his father had never told him that the spring was a place for him and his grandfather, but he hoped it was. It made the place feel more special to Gohan, he felt that if his father shared a place so close to his heart with him it proved how close they were. He was then suddenly hit by the depressing realization that the keyword was 'were', but he pushed those feelings deep down. As long as he was in the past now, he didn't want to deal with his pain in the future, here he could pretend everything was okay.

"S-sure Goku, where is it?" Gohan asked.

Goku helped Gohan to his feet before motioning him to follow. "It's just a little walk from here. Grampa made a trail there a long time ago so I keep it looking nice when I can."

Goku confidently led Gohan away from the hut to a path nearly hidden by all the bamboo trees growing close to it. After the first few feet the bamboo thinned and the path became lined with stones. At this point Gohan was sure their spring was what he was talking about and after a few more minutes of walking the trees began to thin and the tall grass of the meadow began. The path extended to the tree but Gohan didn't want to step any further, he remembered that he hadn't really been here since before the Cell Games.

He remembered that final day before those awful games. The anxiety and breathlessness he felt as he laid in the meadows soft grass. He remembered his father's attempts at comforting him, and of course he pretended that they worked, but deep down he was terrified of the day to come. He pushed those memories deep down, just like those terrible feelings, and hid them from himself. All he wanted to do was play pretend.

"Something wrong?" Goku asked.

"No I'm fine." Gohan replied distantly.

Gohan walked to the tree, it was still the same smooth and tall apple tree as he remembered. At every limb there was always an apple and choosing was always easy because never, in all his years of going there, did he choose a sour apple. He jumped up and chose one at random, by the time he landed his father had already gathered over a dozen, but Gohan was content with just one. He bit into it and it was crisp and sweet, just like every other apple he had ever eaten from that tree.

_Yeah, one full year of pretend. I deserve that much..._

_I think._


	31. Chapter 31: You Are Strong Enough

This was it. The final day.

Gohan laid in his mat, resting only a few feet away from his father. Both had been training for the last few hours and now, with full stomachs, were ready for a good long rest...Or perhaps, only one of them was.

After nightfall, when he was sure Goku was asleep, Gohan silently got up and slid open the dresser. He retrieved his satchel and the four-star dragon ball, which his father put in there a few months ago after nearly losing it during a sparring match, and promptly slid the dressers drawer back in.

Tip-toeing silently across the stone floor, he made his way over to his father and crouched beside him.

Gohan was thankful he decided to leave at night, saying goodbye would be impossible if his father was awake. He thought back on the entirety of the year they spent together and, although he tried, he couldn't think of a single day where he was unhappy being there. For the first few months, he was always on guard, anticipating an android attack at any time of day, he even stayed up way later at night than he usually would just to keep an eye out, but as time flew by he became less worried. He didn't care why Gero never attacked him but he was grateful for his absence.

The walks, the sparring, the fishing, the swimming, the eating, and most importantly, the talking, it was almost everything Gohan had ever wanted. As he knelt beside Goku, he realized that leaving felt like losing him all over again, but, deep down, somewhere, he knew this was all just a fantasy and it couldn't last forever.

He dreaded the moment of his return, he wondered what he really had to look forward to. Of course, there would be his new brother to raise, but what would be the point? There's no way it could love him after he killed their father. He thought of school, he knew he had a bright future ahead of him in that regard, but how would he balance that out with his new sibling? How would he find the time to support his mother, help raise the baby, and stay at the top of his classes all by himself? He sniffled as he tried to keep his composure. It felt like the weight of the world on his shoulders.

_How can I do it, Daddy? How can I do it all by myself? Because it feels like I can't. Because I know I'm not like you, I can't balance it all on my own, I'm not strong enough._

He backed away as Goku shifted around on his mat. Not wanting to risk waking him up, Gohan collected the radar and crept out of the hut.

The next few hours were dedicated to finding the remaining six dragon balls and, without the restrictions of the nimbus or being with his father, it was considerably easier. He found the first two in the north, both in empty fields of mushy soil; the third, stuck in between the exposed roots of a tree and a fox den; the fourth, sitting on the roof of an old, mossy shack somewhere north of East City; the fifth nestled in gravel near the northern mountains; and the sixth was just outside of West City, near a billboard advertising capsule corp products.

With a satchel full of dragon balls, some spare Zeni, and a now wrinkly file on Gebo, Gohan flew back near Mount Pouzu, but far enough away so that the dragon's voice wouldn't be heard by Goku. He placed the seven out onto the ground in no particular manner and stood back. Before he called out Shenron it occurred to him that he really had never summoned him before, this was the first time he had ever gotten the chance to really make a wish.

"Shenron, I have a wish!" he said as loudly and authoritatively as he could.

Hearing the call, the seven orbs raised themselves into the air and glowed with a light so intense in the darkness of the night that Gohan had to shield his eyes. Once the light begins to dim he peeked through his hands and saw Shenron's face only feet away from him. He'd never seen the dragon get this close to anyone before. His gaze was intimidating but, thankfully, he backed away after making a low grumbling noise.

**I KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHY YOU HAVE COME BEFORE ME**

"Y-you know me?" Gohan asked.

**I DO, SON GOHAN.**

"How?"

**TIME IS A MORTAL CONCEPT. I TRANSCEND TIME.**

"Then you can help me can't you? You can send me to the present?"

**I COULD.**

"Then-"

**HOWEVER, IT IS NOT A REALITY YOU WOULD WANT TO RETURN TO.**

"W-what do you mean?" Gohan asked anxiously.

**THE REALITY I WOULD SEND YOU TO IS ONE WITH NO DRAGON BALLS. I WOULD CEASE TO BE AND THE WORLD AS YOU KNEW IT WOULD AS WELL.**

"As I knew it?! What do you mean!"

**BRINGING BOTH YOU AND GERO BACK IS NOT ENOUGH TO STOP THE EVENTS OF THE PAST FROM CHANGING. HE HAS HAD FAR TOO MUCH OF AN IMPACT.**

"Y-you're saying that it doesn't even matter if I bring him back to the present with me?! Then what am I supposed to do!"

**MAKE IT SO THAT HE HAS NO IMPACT ON THE PAST NOR THE PRESENT.**

Getting rather irritated with the dragon's vague instructions Gohan spoke angrily, "Well if bringing him back to the present isn't enough to limit his impact tell me what is!"

**YOU MUST FIGURE IT OUT FOR YOURSELF. I CAN SAY NO MORE.**

He gritted his teeth in frustration. "That's not fair! Don't you know how difficult this is for me?! And don't you care about the timeline at all?!"

**I HAVE FINISHED SPEAKING. REQUEST A WISH.**

"What do you mean you've finished speaking!" Gohan said, with frustrated angry tears welling up in his eyes. "Tell me what to do!" he screamed. "Please!"

With vision blurred by tears, Gohan could barely make out the form of the dragon but he could tell that Shenron wasn't pleased. He placed himself on the ground and tried to clear his eyes. "Please Shenron, I'm sorry I yelled. I-I just feel so lost." he said.

**HMM... THIS I KNOW.**

"Then you know I don't want to go home. I don't want to go back to the present but I have to. It doesn't matter that no one wants me there, I have a responsibility to them...to my little brother. Don't I?"

The dragon let out a long growl like exhale.

**YOU DO.**

"Then please Shenron, won't you help me keep them safe?"

There was a silence between the two.

Shenron was deciding.

**IT IS SIMPLE: YOU MUST RID HIM FROM THIS TIME AND DESTROY HIS NEW LABORATORY. EVERYTHING ELSE CAN BE CORRECTED LATER.**

A small smile formed on Gohan's face but it quickly disappeared. "Corrected? What do you mean?"

**ONCE HE AND HIS LABORATORY ARE REMOVED, THE IMPACTS HE HAS MADE ARE MINOR ENOUGH TO BE ERASED. ALL THAT IS REQUIRED IS THAT YOU INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR WISH.**

"Then the same goes for me too right? You'll have to remove my impacts too won't you?"

**YES.**

"So...dad won't remember me? He won't remember any of this?"

**NO.**

Although he knew it was for the best, the fact that his father wouldn't remember any of this when he got back home was devastating. It felt like a hot knife cutting and burning through his fragile heart.

**NOW, PLEASE REQUEST A WISH. I WILL ALLOW IT TO BE AS MUNDANE AS YOU'D LIKE.**

_I wish he wouldn't have to forget._

_Even if he never knows who I really am I just want him to remember how much he loved me. I don't want to always be remembered as the failure I am._

**I AM WAITING...**

The dragon's voice emptied Gohan's mind, he hardly thought about anything before he made his wish. "I-I wish for a four-star ball replica." He regretted his choice almost immediately "Wai-"

**VERY WELL.**

Shenron's eye's glowed so brightly that the whole forest was illuminated by his crimson light and when the glow died down, a four-star ball laid at Gohan's feet.

**YOUR WISH FOR A FOUR-STAR BALL REPLICA HAS BEEN GRANTED. FAREWELL SON GOHAN.**

"No, wait! I- I didn't!"

Quickly, Shenron's tail slid back into the seven orbs that summoned him. Once he had completely disappeared they began to float into the sky. They spun together in beautiful synchrony of light and just before they were scattered Gohan impulsively jumped up and caught the real four-star ball.

Once he was firmly back on the ground he stuffed the white stone into his gi and held the replica in his hand. He was so angry he nearly crushed it in his palm.

_I'm so stupid...I could have wished for anything but instead, I just wished for a four-star ball. I could have wished for Gero to be brought here so we could end this here and now! I could have wished for the location of his base! I could have wished for anything! Instead...instead I wished for a four-star ball just so I could go back to dad and look less suspicious! Why did I do that?! Why am I so weak?! Why can't I leave him?! Leave him like he left me!_

_No..._

_No, that's not fair._

_He left because I let him down over and over and over again, it was justified. Me leaving him now would just be wrong, he hasn't ever done anything to deserve that. I can't hold his decision to leave against him, I can only blame myself._

Gohan stuffed the replica back into his gi before taking a look at the horizon. The sun's light had just begun to shine over Mount Pouzu.

_Morning already? That leaves me with so little time to get back...I better hurry._

* * *

"Jack, Jack wake up, you were talking about that Piccolo guy again."

Gohan's eyes slid open and he pushed his torso up off the floor. "I was?"

"Yeah, you were talking about your dad and that lookout again too."

"Oh..." he said. "Sorry Goku, I guess I just have weird dreams."

"That's okay. I just came to get you because I made breakfast."

Gohan smiled as he got to his feet. "Is it boar again?"

"No, no I made eggs!"

The two exited the house and Gohan saw two giant dinosaur eggs cooking on a large stone slab near the fire. Once they were finished cooking Goku flipped both over themselves making an impromptu omelet and, although the smell was inviting, Gohan couldn't stop thinking about the night prior. He hated that, at least for a moment, he blamed his father for leaving him. He had always placed the blame on himself because he believed it was deserved, it was his fault that he died and it was his fault that he left. He deserved the punishment of his absence.

It wasn't long before Goku noticed he was acting off. "You alright Jack? Something bothering you?"

Gohan figured he might as well pose the question to his father, granted he would have to change some aspects to cover himself, but he could still ask him. "Goku, if I did something to upset you and you left me, shouldn't I blame myself for upsetting you in the first place? Isn't that the right thing to do?"

It was clear the question disturbed his father who busied himself with the omelets to provide a moment to think.

"Goku?" he asked.

Gohan observed his father pull the hot stone away from the fire to prevent the eggs from overcooking and before he asked again, he got his answer.

"Well, I wouldn't ever leave you Jack, or anybody really. I don't think I could be that mad at a person."

This answer surprised Gohan. He remembered the moment his father said he wouldn't be coming back. He claimed it was too dangerous and that it seemed like as long as he was around enemies would always appear. Gohan wondered for a moment if that really was the true reason. If he really wouldn't ever leave him unless he had to. He knew his father had never told a lie to him before, but, the massive decision to give up his life on Earth, with his son and his wife, it seemed impossible for the reason to be that simple.

Still not convinced he pushed the question again. "W-well, what if I upset you enough that you did leave. Shouldn't I blame myself for that?"

Goku sat down and rested his head atop his hands. "No jack I don't think so. I think that if I did leave you alone just because I was mad at you then I'm the bad guy." he smiled warmly. "It's never okay to leave your friends."

Gohan couldn't help but smile after hearing that. All this time he operated under the assumption that his father left because he was disappointed but maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe he really did choose to stay in otherworld only because he had to, because it was what's best for the world.

"But you're not worried I'd leave you, are you Jack?" Goku asked.

Adamantly he responded, "N-no Goku, it was just a question I've had for a while."

"Good," he said, closing the conversation of such an awful topic. "Hey, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to go to the city today?"

"Hm, which one Goku? Depending on where we go it might take us a couple of days to get somewhere."

"The city grampa always used to take trips to is close. We can probably just go there, I'm sure they have some."

Unsure of what Goku was referring to Gohan asked, "Some what, Goku?"

"Ice cream!" he said excitedly. "It's been a couple of months since Bulma visited and we never really go anywhere so I figured today might be good to do something different!"

"Sure Goku." Gohan replied, "That sounds good to me."

Goku shifted the rock slab between the two and, at this point, it had cooled down enough that the two of them could use it as a makeshift table, they ate their breakfast in peaceful silence together.

Afterward, Gohan went inside to grab his satchel. He picked it up and opened it to count the couple hundred Zeni that Bulma had brought over for them. Originally he had tried to get her to take it back but he knew once she had made her mind up about anything, it was pointless to try and reason with her. As he was sifting through the bag he saw the four-star balls replica, quickly took it out and placed it gently into the dresser, being careful to leave the real one inside the satchel.

"Jack, you ready? I know we've got all day but I can't wait to get going!" Gohan heard from just outside the hut. He swung the satchel over his shoulder and walked outside.

"Sorry, I was just counting our money. Can't get ice cream without buying it you know?"

"Oh yeah that's right...how much money do we have now? I know those books about reading cost a bit much."

"I think they were worth it though. You really needed to learn properly now, otherwise, it would be much harder to learn later." Gohan said as the two began walking up the old dirt trail to the city.

Step after step, the two made their way through the hills and valleys of Mount Pouzu. Much of the path they traveled on was surrounded by trees but the portions that weren't were stunningly beautiful. Gohan took a liking to one river they crossed over about half-way through their journey, so much so that when the two were on the apex of the old wooden bridge, he asked to stop. Goku eagerly agreed and the two sat off the edge of the bridge and watched the koi fish swim upriver for a while. And for the life of him, Gohan couldn't remember ever seeing this river, he was amazed and ashamed at how little he really knew about his home. He had been flying over these same mountains and rivers for years and somehow he still missed out on its finer details and subtleties. He was grateful for being able to rectify that now.

When the two made it to the city it looked as busy as ever. Hundreds of cars along the streets and plenty of people passing by on the sidewalks. Gohan smiled when he saw the title 'Orange City', he couldn't believe that they were renaming it after that fraud Hercule. If anyone should get a city named after them it should be the one who saved them: his father.

"Jack, have you been here before? I'm not quite sure where to go..."

"I came here a couple times." Gohan said. "Most of the food places are somewhere downtown."

"Do you know how to get there?"

"Yeah, we just have to find Main Street which will take us right down the center of the city."

"Main Street..." Goku said while looking around them "Is that it?" he said, pointing two blocks ahead of them.

Gohan squinted and could just barely read the sign which definitively said Main Street. "Yep that's it, let's go get some ice cream!"

The two began walking, they crossed the first block and got halfway through the second before stopping. The two looked down an alleyway to their right and saw a couple of men handing money between each other. A few moved to the side of the cramped alleyway to clear space for two of the men who proceeded to fight eachother. Obviously it was some low-level fight betting but it still piqued Goku's interest enough for him to watch. Fortunately, the fight didn't last long and the two continued on their way after watching the fighters shake hands.

"That reminds me, Jack, we still have two whole years until the next world tournament."

"Yeah, I guess we do." Gohan replied with little excitement.

"You don't have to fight you know."

"What do you mean, Goku?"

"Do you like fighting, Jack?"

"Of course I do! We fight every day don't we?"

"Well, we spar but I think that's different from fighting; it's more friendly. Fighting is when the opponent is really trying to hurt you, enough so that you can't fight anymore. Like back at Baba's when I was going up against that mummy, you were scared for me, not excited. You were so worried your knees were shaking. You don't like that kind of fighting, the real fighting, do you?"

The two turned the corner onto Main Street and began walking past the various upscale restaurants and bistros. Gohan was hesitant to answer the question. "I- I guess I don't. I've never really liked hurting anyone, not even if it's someone I don't like."

Something about that statement seemed odd to Goku, like it stung just to put into words. "Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed over. Grampa was kind of like that too. He trained mainly because he enjoyed the workout and because it was always handy if he ever got into trouble."

"I know...it's just." he paused "I want to like it. I've wanted to like fighting ever since-my dad started teaching me. I was always worried that-that maybe if he knew I didn't like it he would feel ashamed of me. I wanted to be what he thought I could be, I wanted to be strong like him."

"You are strong like him Jack and from what you've told me about him there's no way he'd ever feel that way about you. And it's not your fault that you don't like fighting, just like it's not Krillin's fault that he's so short." Goku said with a smile as he playfully nudged Gohan's arm with his own.

Gohan smiled, "Thanks Goku...that means more than you could know."

Gohan looked to his left, across the street was a vibrant ice cream parlor, packed to the brim with customers. "Hey, look there's an ice cream place right there. Let's cross and see if we can find our place in line!"

The two walked to the nearest pedestrian crossing and made it over to the parlor. Inside it was pleasantly, and surprisingly, warm inside. Each customer was lined up neatly and most had their orders ready once they got to the counter, it made for a very effective system and the two moved up the line quickly.

"What are you getting Jack?" Goku asked.

"I think I might go with vanilla."

"I don't know, isn't vanilla kind of plain?" Goku teased.

"Well, what are you getting then?" Gohan replied.

"I'm getting banana, ooh, and probably some strawberry!"

"Those seem pretty ordinary to me," Gohan said. "So I wouldn't be so quick to judge me on my choice...but, I think I might get some strawberry too."


	32. Chapter 32: An Old Rivalry

There was always a period in the evening, where the sun would dip behind Mount Pouzu and the last rays of the deep gold sun would disappear along with it, and in this five to six minutes without the sun, the valley was entirely dark; but, the moon always came right after then. The moon always provided just enough light to give the impression that the world outside was just asleep and not a wasteland of darkness, or at least that's what Gohan always thought.

Gohan gazed outside the huts little window and only saw darkness. No moon in this time, but surely, the world outside sleeps just the same.

He laid on his mat across the hut from his father. As always, Goku was asleep in an instant but Gohan always stayed up at least an hour after he fell asleep. He reached over to the dresser and pulled out his satchel which he opened carefully and silently. He pulled out his little notebook that he had been writing in for the past few months and opened it. He flipped through the maps he'd drawn of different parts of the world, parts, that in the dead of night, he had combed through for Gero's hidden base. He was displeased by how little of the globe he had covered in three years, he felt like he should have done more but, at least the time he spent with his father was worth his lack of progress.

He flipped through more pages until he got to his diary section which he just recently began to fill and, despite having his pencil ready, he lost the will to write anything. He flipped a few pages back and took one last look at the maps before closing the notebook and stuffing the satchel back into the dresser. He silently scooched back to his mat and laid under the covers that went comfortably up to his chin. Resting his head on his pillow, he knew he wasn't tired yet, luckily he had the crickets and the occasional owl to accompany him.

He thought about these past three years and how much they meant to him. In some odd way, he felt whole again. Gohan still blamed himself for his father's death but his more minor insecurities seemed to lessen and even disappear as the years passed on. Even his nightmares were gone; although, they were replaced by dreams of his mother.

He missed her deeply, even though he felt she lost her love for him after his father's death. He missed her sugary sweet tone that she always used to address him with, and most of all, he missed her constant random acts of affection that always made him feel special.

Most of his other dreams were about training, math, and occasionally Piccolo. Somehow those were always the dreams his father took note of, and it didn't take long until he had the name 'Piccolo' memorized. Gohan couldn't remember exactly when the two first met, but he hoped he wouldn't be around for it. He hoped he would be able to find Gero's base sometime soon and get back to the present, but as for right now, he just wanted to get through the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.

He shifted himself under the covers and got comfortable once more and thought more about the tournament, which he sadly didn't know much about, his father never really spoke about it.

The morning came and the two packed their things for the journey to Papaya island which Gohan calculated should only take them a couple of hours.

"Okay..." Goku said. "I've got my power pole, the dragon radar, and a couple of bananas. You ready Jack?"

Gohan sifted through his satchel "Hmm... Yep. I've got the Zeni and the four-star ball."

"Oh hey, Jack?" Goku said. "Could I hold onto that for now?"

"Of course, Goku," Gohan said, holding out the real orb for his father. As it was taken from his hands he breathed a silent sigh of relief, there were a couple close calls with the fake one that Shenron had given him but luckily, he no longer had any use for it and disposed of it months ago.

Goku placed the ball in his gi before excitedly saying, "All right! Let's get a move on. I've been waiting a whole three years for my rematch with Mister Chun and I can hardly wait!"

The pair began to walk southwest, traveling through the thick woods of Mount Pouzu, parts that had no beaten path but were rife with thick bamboo and ropey vines.

"Hey Jack, you're sitting this one out, aren't you?" Goku asked as he stepped over a fallen tree.

"I think so Goku. You know how I feel about hurting people and I don't think I'm up for it. I still feel bad for knocking out Nam the last time."

"Hey, that's okay! Remember the last time Bulma stopped by she said she was getting front row seats this tournament? You'll be able to see great from there."

Gohan smiled, "Yeah, but they probably won't be as good as right next to the stage entrance. That was really the way to watch."

Goku looked out into the forest ahead of them. "Hey Jack, do you want to pick up the pace? See who can get to the ocean the fastest?"

Gohan giggled, "You want to race, Goku?"

"Only if you're up to it, and if you think you can beat me." He replied slyly.

"Hahaha! I guess it's been a while since we really raced. Okay, you're on!"

Goku rubbed his hands together and looked ahead of him. "Then we'll go on the count of three," he said. "One. Two. Three!"

The two began speeding through the forest, kicking up dirt as they sprinted. It only took a couple of minutes before the two reached the ocean and although Gohan intentionally lost by a little bit, he was impressed by how much his father had improved.

Goku, a little out of breath, walks up to him and says, "Great job Jack, I'd say we're just about as equal as always." He laid a hand on Gohan's shoulder "But I don't think I would have gotten as strong as I am now without you. Thank you, Jack."

Gohan blushed slightly as he smiled back, he loved his father's compliments. "Thank you, Goku."

Goku thought for a moment, about what Gohan meant to him. Were they really friends at all? To him, Gohan felt like family, like the brother he never had, he wondered if Gohan felt the same. "Jack, would you call us brothers? Even though we aren't really?"

"Yeah Goku, I'd say we are." Gohan said with a caring smile.

"I've always wanted a brother," Goku said as he stared out into the ocean. Remembering that the two still had to cross the ocean, he asked, "Oh hey, which direction do we go next Jack?"

"I'm pretty sure we still have to head southwest Goku. Papaya Island is really out there."

Goku tightened the strings on his power pole before stepping into the water "Well, I guess we better start."

Gohan followed him into the water and the two began the tedious task of swimming to the island which was just about 400 miles away.

It was hard work and it took them the better half of the morning but eventually, they saw the city's skyline far in the distance which encouraged them to quicken their pace. When they finally arrived upon the shore, it was high noon, and one of the most humid days either had ever experienced. It was so hot that as soon as their clothes dried they began to sweat profusely and miss the cold embrace of the ocean

"Jack do you think Master Roshi and the others are already at the Martial Arts Tournament?" Goku asked as he climbed up the beach and onto the city sidewalk.

Gohan looked around to get a feel for exactly where they were. "I don't know. Bulma was supposed to tell us the last time she visited but didn't get the chance to before her father called and asked for her help in the lab again."

"Should we go to the airport?"

"Nah, if we head to the tournament grounds then we'll meet with them eventually. Besides, you may be right, they may already be there." Gohan said as he led the way. "It might take us a little while to get there. From what I remember, the tournament and the hotel is on the other end of the island."

"We're sure getting our workout in today. I mean normally this stuff isn't too hard but it's really, really hot out..." Goku said shielding his eyes from the sun. "and I'm kind of hungry. Those bananas did not fill me up."

Gohan smiled and patted his father on the back "Well it's a good thing the preliminaries aren't until tomorrow because you fighting when you're hungry just doesn't work. Remember last August when you tried Chun's fasting technique?"

"I remember it being awful. I wonder how Mister Chun does that." Goku said.

Neither of them noticed but they had already passed through the city and were now heading up the trail to the tournament grounds which also happen to be on the more elevated side of the island.

"I've been looking forward to fighting him again Jack. Back then punching him felt like punching a brick wall, and my ribs felt terrible for the next couple days. I can't wait to show him how much I've grown."

Gohan could see that determined and hopeful look in his father's eye, he knew that this tournament would probably the most meaningful thing he would experience in this part of his life. All Gohan wanted to do was make sure it went right and he was thankful he could ensure that by staying on the sidelines.

"You'll do great Goku, I know it." Gohan said.

The two began to hear voices up ahead of them and once they reached the top of the hill they'd been climbing they saw the hotel and tournament grounds, both packed to the brim with people.

Gohan glossed over the crowd, seeing if he could spot any of their friends. He hardly expected to be shoved to the ground from behind.

"Out of my way" a cold voice commanded.

Gohan sat up on the pavement and couldn't believe that it was Tien who'd just pushed him down. "Ow, Tien, why'd you do that?!" he asked.

Tien stopped and looked annoyedly at the boy he'd just shoved. "Hm, you know me?"

Gohan averted his eyes as he realized he actually hadn't met Tien yet in this time. "S-sorry, sir. I-"

"I asked you a question," Tien stated angrily. "How do you know me?"

"Leave him alone!" Goku said protectively, stepping in between Gohan and Tien. "Don't talk to people that way you big bully!"

Tien hunched forward, staring at Goku angrily. "Don't involve yourself in this. He talked to me firs-"

"C'mon Tien, we've got to sign up before they close." Chiaotzu interrupted. "And Master Crane is already waiting for us."

"Right, right," Tien grumbled as he turned away from the two boys. "Thank you, Chiaotzu."

The pair watched the odd students dressed in green walked away from them. Goku only stopped to help Gohan up off the floor once the two disappeared into the crowd gathering near the tournament's entrance.

"You okay Jack? he shoved you really hard"

Gohan looked at his elbow which sustained a pretty nasty scrape; he hadn't been expecting a fight that day and left his ki levels rather low. It was a mistake he hadn't made in years but that wasn't anywhere near as shocking as how cold and abusive Tien was. Gohan knew he was never the very emotional type, but he would never do something like that. Even his ki felt unfamiliar, not evil like Gero's twisted mannequin, but hurt and confused.

"I'm fine, just a little scrape." Gohan said.

"You sure? You're bleeding."

Gohan reached into his satchel and retrieved a bandage. One of many he brought with him, just in case. "Yeah, just need to cover it is all."

"Did you know him? He seemed really upset that you said his name." Goku asked.

"I- I think I saw him on the registration at the last tournament." Gohan said nervously, pretending to busy bandaging himself.

"Really? Well, he's probably just mad that he didn't get into the semi-finals last time. He must really hate losing."

Another voice came from the road behind them. "Well, I'll be. You two actually beat us here. We had the earliest plane tickets we could get and you two actually beat us here."

Goku heard that old familiar voice and instantly knew it was Master Roshi. He turned and darted towards the old man, hugging him as soon as he reached him.

"Master Roshi! It's so good to see you!" he said as he squeezed the old man.

"Oh dear, Goku, your grip is definitely stronger than I remember." Roshi said.

Goku backed away from his master and stood straight. "You think so? Jack and I did exactly what you said we should! We trained as hard as possible each day and made sure to have loads of fun too!"

Roshi was surprised Gohan was mentioned, he peered around Goku and raised his eyebrows as Gohan stood quietly a few feet away from them, still as well mannered as ever. "I bet you have." He said, slightly distracted. "Say, Goku, Krillin and the others should be coming up the hill any second now, would you go greet them? I have a question I need to ask Jack."

Goku laughed excitedly, "Sure, Master!" he said before running down the hill.

The old man tipped the front part of his fedora lower, trying to block the sun as he mosied over to Gohan. "So, I take it the dragon refused your wish?"

"Shenron said I'd need to get rid of everything Gero created here in the past, including his new lab."

"Have you located it?"

"Well I know it's not in the north and for the past two years I've been clearing out parts of the world trying to pin down where it is. Sadly, I don't think I've made much progress."

"And what are the reasons for that?" the old man asked expectantly.

Gohan fidgeted with his hands anxiously "W-well, it's probably really well hidden in a remote area and-."

"Sure there aren't any other reasons, Gohan?"

"Master Roshi, please don't-"

"No, Gohan, you have been here for far too long. You need to let him go. You need to go home."

"I-I'm sorry," Gohan said with a growing lump in his throat. "It's just so hard."

The old man sighed, he was never the type to be emotionally unreceptive to anyone, let alone his friends. "Don't cry my boy, it's alright." He said as he ruffled Gohan's hair. "This was probably not the best time for me to discuss this with you anyway. How about we forget about this and go sign up for the tournament along with all of our friends?"

Gohan wiped his face and cleared his throat "I-I'm just watching this time Master Roshi."

"That's okay, you'll be good company for Bulma. Did you know she nearly broke Oolong's snout at the last tournament? He 'accidentally' grabbed her and she whopped him right in the face. For the next three weeks, there was a very loud whistle every time he breathed. Hehehe, little fiend, got more than he bargained for. He should have left that kind of maneuver to the professionals. Like me!"

Gohan smiled and rolled his eyes at the old man, then the pair walked over to the others who were already waiting in the crude line to sign up.

"Wow, Goku, have you gotten taller?" Yamcha asked.

"Um...I don't know. Maybe an inch or two."

"Yeah well, maybe you can spare a couple for Krillin!" Yamcha barely managed to say before breaking out into laughter.

"Oh, haha Yamcha," Krillin said. "Look at Jack, he hasn't grown since the last tournament either. He's still wearing that same gi Goku gave him three years ago! You ever think that maybe we just take a bit more time to grow than everyone else?"

While wheezing from laughter Yamcha said, "Well... at least... he's not... as short as you! Hahaha!"

Oh, just you wait until the tournament Yamcha. We'll see who's laughing then. Krillin thought.

"All right, that's enough Yamcha, knock it off," Bulma said commandingly. "We've got like three hours of time left in this line and I don't need you two knuckleheads punching each other before your even signed up for the tournament!"

Yamcha caught his breath and immediately began trying to salvage the situation; Bulma was clearly in an irritable mood since the flight, most likely because of their very cramped seats and long time in the terminal. "Sorry Bulma, I'm done I promise."

"Good." Bulma said.

Feeling rather cramped, Gohan slid out from the side of the group and tightened the satchel strap around his shoulder.

"Still keeping that around Jack?" Bulma asked."It is real leather and looks pretty stylish so I get it but if you don't mind me asking why do you carry it with you?"

"I don't know...maybe because it's a gift from Upa? I think I'd feel bad if I didn't have it. Plus it's super good for carrying stuff although I mainly use it to hold our money."

"You're telling me you haven't used up the 30,000 Zeni I gave you guys?"

"Well, we've used most of it, mainly on ice cream, bandages, pencils, and paper, but those are really cheap so it's lasted a while."

Bulma waved her hand in dismissal "Ha! I would have blown through that in a day! You're really frugal aren't you?"

"Mount Pouzu has a lot of-"

Gohan was interrupted as Tien, Chiaotzu and the Crane hermit step out from the crowd.

"Ah, the great Master Roshi," Crane exclaimed, "With his predictably unimpressive students."

Gohan saw Tien's eyes narrow a little, it seemed he had formed a grudge on Goku in the little time the two knew each other. His father stood by his side and stared back at Tien, not angrily but very determined to protect his friend.

"Hmhm, coming from you Crane that means nothing. You wouldn't know true power even if you had your rear handed to you in the street. You bloated oaf."

"Well, at least I don't look like I've been bathing in spray-on tan you disgusting island dweller." Crane snorted at his own awful insult "Anyway, I just came to tell you that we'll finally be able to settle our little rivalry in the next coming days. The whole world will finally see just how much better the crane is than the turtle"

"You know, for all the years I've known you Crane I figured that, maybe one day, you'd come around. Bridge the gap between us and settle this with a discussion over some lemonade at my beach house. But no, you're still the same impudent, shameful student that you were all those years ago. Master Mutaito would be so disappointed in you."

It was clear that Roshi had cut Crane deep, his wrinkled face turned a slight pink and he clenched his fist in silent fury. "You'll get yours, Roshi. I can personally promise you that."

Roshi waited and watched as Crane turned away and ushered his students along with him before relaxing again. "Now you see... wherever we eat tonight, we should definitely avoid them. I don't trust him not to throw his food at me."

Goku's eyes lit up "We get to go out to eat! Really?!"

Roshi smiled. "Yep, nothin' but the best for my students. Tomorrow is a big day and you all need your strength when you get through those preliminaries. As for the seating arrangements..."

"Don't even," Bulma said. "Wherever you sit old man, I'm sitting at the other end. Besides, I'll already be sitting by Yamcha."

"Wherever we go can we make sure they have a lot of food!" Goku interrupted.

Roshi nervously dabbed his suit's handkerchief over his sweaty forehead, still receiving a mighty stare down from Bulma. "W-well, Bulma I was referring to Launch but your denial is duly noted. As for you Goku I'm pretty sure that no matter where we go, there'll always be a risk they won't fill you up."

"Yeah, I guess so." Goku said with a little giggle.

The group only had to wait about twenty more minutes before being able to sign up, it seemed whatever was halting the progress of the line head cleared. Goku, Yamcha, Krillin, and secretly Master Roshi all signed up.

Roshi shifted his arm to reveal his wristwatch, it seemed it was already 5:30. "Okay, let's get a move on everybody. I haven't had anything to eat all day!"

The group wandered around the city for a while before coming across a nice looking restaurant. The food was on the pricier side but the portions were massive which made it a little easier to feed Goku and Gohan, although it didn't help with the bill much, good thing Roshi had planned for that and saved for just such an occasion.

After everyone arrived at the hotel, the staff announced that they had special arrangements for them considering the size of their party and the fact that they secretly had the winner and runner up of the last tournament present with them: Bulma, Launch, and Puar were given a lovely suite, complete with three full-sized beds; Goku and Krillin received a moderate, but very well decorated suite, who's finer details sadly went unappreciated; Master Roshi and Oolong were directed to a luxury sweet with two king-sized beds and a large balcony. Arguably, Yamcha and Gohan received the 'worst' room which was rather tight but still had a nice dark wooden floor that creaked charmingly when stepped on. Neither minded as they prepared themselves for bed.

After taking a much-needed shower, Gohan slipped into his bed and pulled the covers over. It was very comfortable, cradling him as if a personal invite to sleep, and yet he couldn't. He looked over at Yamcha who seemed to be having trouble himself.

"Yamcha?" Gohan asked.

"Yeah, Jack?"

"You can't sleep either?"

"No. I think I'm anxious, either that or excited. I guess it doesn't matter which because, man, I can't seem to go to bed."

"It seems like a little bit of light from the streetlamps is leaking in from the window. Would it be okay if I read a little?" Gohan asked as he unhinged the latches on his satchel.

Yamcha laughed at Gohan's polite request. "Of course you can Jack. I think I'm gonna go for a run anyway, gotta' burn off some of this energy."

Yamcha threw the covers off of himself and dressed in his gi. He quickly remade his bed before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly behind him as to not bother Gohan.

Gohan sat in his bed for a moment and felt Yamcha and Krillin's energies move away from him and the hotel. He opened up his notebook and flipped to the diary section, specifically March of this year. He read through entries trying to comfort himself with a nice story or a time where Goku impressed him but it didn't help much. In fact, he felt even worse now that Yamcha was gone because now he was alone. He regretted even asking to read and stuffed his notebook back into the satchel which he laid on the floor beside him.

"Hey, Jack" Goku whispered as he opened the door. "You asleep?"

Surprised he didn't even notice his father's ki, Gohan stuttered a response. "No Goku...Not really."

Goku entered and closed the door behind him, dressed in some striped blue pajamas the hotel had given him. "Not tired?"

"I'm tired, but...it's tough sleeping without anyone else here." Gohan said, even though he was rather certain that only being near him would make sleep viable.

"I'm sure Yamcha won't mind if I take his spot. I think he might even like the other room more."

"Goku you don't have to. I'm sure they won't be gone too long."

"Too late!" Goku said as he hopped into Yamcha's bed. "Already here!"

Gohan saw Goku throw the covers over himself and snuggle his way into the bed, he felt more comfortable already but wondered why Goku came in the first place. "Goku?"

Goku stuck his head out from underneath the covers. "Yeah?"

"Did you come just to check up on me?" Gohan asked.

"Well, I know it's tough for you to sleep Jack, even at grampa's. And I figured me being here might help a little."

"Thank you, Goku," Gohan said wholeheartedly. "It does."

"Good. Sweet dreams, Jack"

Gohan loved that saying. There was always something endearing about wishing a sweet dream unto another person, especially when they meant it, and he loved that his father wished it to him because Gohan knew that he meant it. He always means what he says.

"Sweet dreams, Goku."


	33. Chapter 33: Competitive Cruelty

The next day Gohan waited patiently outside of the World Tournament walls as the hundreds of fighters dwindled down to just eight. The hours passed slowly but, as all things do, they passed and once the tournament ground staff began to leave, along with the remaining contestants, Gohan and the group met up with Yamcha, Goku, and Krillin. Goku gladly filled in the details of the day as he described both the fantastical and the horrible fights between the countless nameless fighters. He also told Gohan about how badly Tien beat their friend Nam; he was actually beating him so fiercely that the staff had to call the match off for fear that Tien would kill him. Gohan could tell Goku was furious at Tien's brutality and he knew that once they got in the ring together Tien would not be getting the same treatment his father normally gave his opponents.

Surprisingly, as the group returned to the hotel, the tournament had staff waiting there for them. The finely dressed gentlemen explained that all of their meals would be provided and covered by the tournament this evening and that it would be their esteemed honor to serve them the evening before the tournament. Of course, everyone agreed, and they were seated in the hotel dining hall and sat through an elegant, albeit tense, and awkward dinner, with the other contestants, including Tien. Throughout the entire meal Roshi was practically staring at Crane from the opposite end of the very long table, and Goku, although more sly about it, was silently sizing up Tien from his seat next to Gohan and Krillin. He couldn't wait to get the opportunity to tear him apart after what he did to Nam.

Thankfully everyone kept their heads and the dinner was quiet. each party returned to their rooms without incident.

The night passed quickly and in the morning everyone was up early and dressed for the hot summer day ahead of them. Once they got to the lobby and looked out the hotel's double glass doors they saw a nearly mile-long line to get into the tournament.

"Boy am I glad we don't have to wait in that line." Oolong said.

"Yeah, you're telling me! Thank goodness we have tournament participants because there's no way I could wait in that line! Some of the people look like they've been waiting there for hours!"

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go! I can't win the tournament from here." Yamcha said eagerly.

Bulma at the elevators with their floor numbers still blank, indicating no riders."Ugh, we're still waiting on Master Roshi and it still looks like he's not even on the elevator yet. Oolong where is he?"

"Hey don't ask me, he was still repacking his suitcase when I left to meet you guys and that was twenty minutes ago."

"Here I am!" Roshi exclaimed, coming from behind the group. "Sorry about the wait, I took the stairs down today. I uh, needed some exercise."

"Alright!" Goku exclaimed, "Now that we're all here we can go right?"

"That's right my boy," Roshi said. "Although I do have some business to attend to with the hotel. Why don't you all go ahead without me? I'll catch up soon."

"Okay, guys let's go then!" Yamcha said as he opened the door.

Everyone hurryingly stepped through the door and out into the sunshine, the grounds were only a short walk from there, and no one was content waiting any longer. They continued passing by the enormous line of people, many of whom were fanning themselves with hats to try and keep cool, and others who tried to huddle up in whatever shade the trees cast over the road.

In no time at all, they saw the massive walls of the tournament grounds and were met by Jackie Chun.

"Well, look who it is! Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha. Good to see you boys showed up today, I'm glad you didn't get cold feet after what Tien pulled yesterday. That boy has issues."

"Cold feet?" Yamcha asked. "We're students of the great Master Roshi, we don't get cold feet."

"Well then Yamcha, if you're so eager to fight him I hope you get him first." Krillin said jokingly.

Yamcha smirked back "I hope I do."

"Let's not dilly-dally then, after all, we're the main event so let's be on time and look good!" Roshi said as he began to walk towards the contestant entrance.

"Hold on," Goku said as he took out the four-star ball and untied his power pole. "Here Jack, I know you'll keep these safe so I want you to take them while I fight."

"Actually Goku, it's a new tournament policy that customers can no longer bring anything into the stadium. They said it was for security reasons so if you want Jack to watch you've got to leave that stuff in the main hall."

"Oh...okay."

"Don't worry about it Goku you have Krillin, Yamcha, and I to look after it while you fight. It will be perfectly safe with us."

"Y-yeah you're right." Goku said.

Gohan smiled and said "It'll be fine Goku. Just go in there and have fun! Bulma, Puar, Oolong, Master Roshi, and I will all be cheering for you!"

"Yeah, we will!" Bulma said ecstatically.

Goku smiled back and thanked Gohan and Bulma before he and the rest of the group walked behind the heavily guarded contestant entrance.

"C'mon Jack, let's go and get some good seats before they're all gone."

Gohan nodded and followed Bulma as they went into the contestant supporter's check-in. As they made their way through the very short line Oolong tapped Gohan's shoulder, seemingly to ask a question.

"What's up Oolong?"

"Hey Jack, I've been meaning to ask this since nobody else around here want's to ask it, but... when did Goku's tail grow back?"

"I think about two years ago? Maybe a month more...I'm not quite sure. Why?"

"Well do you think there's any chance of him going ape mode like last time? I'm a little worried we're going to have a repeat of last time."

Gohan tried to think about what his father told him about this tournament and despite his best efforts he couldn't remember much except for the fact that he didn't win. "Um, I wouldn't worry about it Oolong, remember the moon's gone now so there's no chance he could become an Oozaru."

"Oozaru?"

Gohan cleared his throat "Sorry, I said ape."

Oolong let out a long sigh "Well thank goodness for that Jackie Chun, without him I don't want to even think about what would have happened if he didn't destroy the moon."

"What are you two talking about?" Bulma pried. "We're through the checkout so let's hustle."

Gohan, Launch, Puar, and Oolong followed Bulma's lead and great seats. They were exactly in the middle of the front row on the right side of the stadium, the only problem was that they would be in the sun all day long but they each thought it was worth it to see their friends in action. It took a little while but soon every seat in the stadium was filled and a massive gong was sounded, hushing everyone instantaneously.

The announcer with his golden hair and dark shades walked up the arena's steps and to the center with his microphone in hand. "Good morning everyone! Welcome to the Twenty-Second World Martial Arts Tournament!"

Gohan clapped and smiled as Bulma, and plenty of others stood out of their seats and cheered.

"Now that's the kind of spirit I like to see. And let me tell you, this tournament is going to be one for the history books because today we have eight amazing fighters here to display the beauty of modern martial arts!"

Just as he paused the crowd erupted into a frenzy of even louder cheers and thunderous applause.

"And not only are there eight fighters but now we have two whole martial arts schools participating! Today we have the Turtle Hermit School comprised of Son Goku: the runner up from the last tournament! Krillin, the fantastic young lad that sure showed me that size isn't all that matters! And Yamcha, the newest turtle hermit member, who also fought bravely in the last tournament! As for the other, we have the Crane Hermit School, made up of two mysterious but powerful fighters named Tien and Chiaotzu!"

He paused to allow the crowd to once again voice their approval in droves.

"But let's not forget our remaining contestants Man-wolf, Pamput, and of course the winner of the previous tournament: The Incredible Jackie Chun!"

Gohan gazed around the arena at the dozens of fans now standing out of their seat cheering for Jackie Chun, he could hardly believe everyone was so excited for this tournament, it definitely seemed more energetic than last time.

"So I know what you're all wondering: 'Who fights who first?. Well, I've got you covered there. The fights are to take place as follows: Tien versus Yamcha, Man-Wolf versus Jackie Chun, Chiaoztu versus Krillin, and lastly Goku versus Pamput." The announcer paused to wipe his brow and clear his throat before speaking again. "As you all know we've got lots of fighting to get through today so the first fight will begin in fifteen minutes so make sure you've all got your popcorn and various concessions ready for the most exciting World Martial Arts Tournament ever!"

Hardly anyone left their seats after he made his announcement and swiftly walked off the stage, in fact, hardly anyone moved a muscle until they heard the tournament drums begin to beat. The crowd seemed to liven up as the drum beats got faster and faster and once they heard the gong sound and saw Tien and Yamcha come out they cheered wildly for them both.

"Now gentlemen the rules are simple: Fights are concluded only when your opponent can no longer fight, you must stay on the stone platform, and absolutely no killing! You'll know when you're opponents finished and we expect you to show them mercy and respect as a fellow warrior."

Both Yamcha and Tien nodded as they stared at each other.

The announcer, satisfied with his contestant's understanding of the rules, turned to the crowd "Now that our fighters are familiarized with our code let the first match of the Twenty-Second World Martial Arts Tournament Begin!"

Yamcha smirked as he lowered himself into his fighting stance "You know Tien I think I'll go slow for a little while so I don't put you out of commission too soon."

Tien smirked as well as he responded, "Do what makes you happy Yamcha, after all, it is your funeral."

Yamcha's grin disappeared as Tien got into his fighting stance as well. Gohan sensed him focusing some of his ki into his upper body which meant he was expecting more hits near his chest than his legs. The two charged towards each other opening with a few trading blows to the chest and shoulders mixed in with some mild acrobatics.

To any normal observer, it looked like Yamcha was clearly the faster fighter but Gohan could easily tell that he was using far more energy than Tien even if they both were just tapping into the first bit of their power.

Yamcha backed away from Tien for a moment, he knew that Tien was a skilled fighter but he hadn't expected him to have such perfect counters to the turtle hermit style. He charged forward once more diving beneath Tien's right kick and hitting his lower back with his elbow. Just as he hoped that hit caused Tien to fall on one of his knees which allowed him to jump back up and hit him with a kick of his own. But, just before Yamcha's kick would have landed, Tien leaped behind Yamcha and slammed him to the ground with both of his fists. He would have continued hitting him if Yamcha hadn't rolled out of the way. Once Yamcha stood back up he had a good distance of seven feet between him and Tien, and to his surprise, Tien didn't pursue.

"You know Yamcha you do have some talent. I'll give you that." Tien said condescendingly.

"Oh really?" Yamcha said. "Means a whole lot coming from you, you bald-headed loser."

Tien didn't respond he just listened to the sound of Yamcha's labored breathing, while his was steady and calm, like he hadn't moved a muscle the entire time.

Yamcha stood straight and said, "I think I'm done warming up. How'd you like to see my wolf fang fist?"

"Wolf fang fist? That sounds pompous and rediculous so I think I'll let you try that. See where it gets you."

"It'll get me to the next round of this tournament," Yamcha said as he focused all of his strength into his hands. "WOLF FANG FIST!" he screamed as he charged towards Tien ferociously. Tien, although surprised at Yamcha's initial speed, saw the attack coming just long enough to back away from the first swipe. He continued to back up as Yamcha clawed at him viciously, that was until he actually cut his face, then Tien slammed Yamcha's chest with his fist as soon as he saw a large opening.

Yamcha backed away, completely baffled by Tien's strength and speed and recovering from a massive hit to his sternum.

"Nowhere," Tien said wiping the blood off his face. "It got you nowhere Yamcha."

"Well try this on for size then!" Yamcha said, bringing his hands back. "KA-ME-HA-ME-HA!"

Gohan couldn't believe Yamcha had just done something that stupid, firing off his first kamehameha in the middle of a world tournament match was dangerous and irresponsible, especially since Tien deflected it back towards him, luckily it hit the wall separating the empty main hall and the arena.

Yamcha was petrified as he began to descend from the jump that allowed him to dodge his own kamehameha. He had put everything he had in that attack and to see it deflected so easily was soul-crushing. He was so petrified by what just happened that he could hardly stop Tien from slamming him down into the concrete as he did near the beginning of the match.

Yamcha, despite his best efforts, couldn't move, he was stunned, dazed, and clearly outmatched which made Tien's next attack more devastating. Tien had used his momentum to come soaring down on Yamcha's leg, breaking both his tibia and fibula.

The crowd was shocked, stuck gawking at the utter disrespect and violence Tien showed towards Yamcha. There were no cheers as Tien stood and backed away from Yamcha, in fact, there were little more than scared whispers coming from the crowd. Gohan especially found his awfulness disturbing. He couldn't imagine Tien was capable of something like this.

The announcer quickly jumped on the stage and stood between Yamcha and Tien. "Okay! Okay! That's enough Tien! You're the winner." he said. "Just make some room so EMT can get through."

Tien crossed his arms and walked off the stage back towards the main hall. As he passed by, Goku made an effort to get in front of him "You didn't have to break his leg; he was already unconscious."

"Yeah. I know." Tien said as walked around Goku.

The announcer stood by diligently as medical staff came through with a stretcher. Once they had him the announcer put a finger to his ear and nodded a couple of times before facing the crowd. "Listen, folks... I'm sorry you had to see that. I know that usually doesn't happen because usually we have more civil fighters so I think we're going to take the rest of the day to sort Yamcha out. Make sure to come back tomorrow for the fight between Jackie Chun and Man-Wolf."

* * *

It was lucky that the Papaya Island Hospital was so close to the tournament grounds because Yamcha was there in a matter of five minutes, although he would be in the hospital much longer. His broken tibia and fibula required surgery which took several hours, causing anxiety not only for Bulma but for everyone else too. In the waiting room, Gohan sat closely next to his father; he was completely silent and deep in thought, most likely about Tien.

"Excuse me?" The doctor said, "You're Yamcha's friends right?"

"Yes, that's us." Bulma said worriedly.

"Well the surgery went well, his bones are set correctly but will take time to heal. If you want to follow me to his room his anesthetic should be wearing off by now."

Everyone wasted no time in following the doctor to Yamcha's bedside.

"Hey, guys..." Yamcha slurrily said. "Man, did I mess up huh? Guess you were right Krillin, maybe I shouldn't have been so eager to fight him after all, haha..."

Bulma took Yamcha's hand and sat in a chair next to him "You did great Yamcha."

Yamcha smiled. "Thanks, Bulma."

He then looked at Gohan "Say, Jack, you wouldn't happen to have any more of those senzu beans would you?"

Gohan tapped his satchel. "No Yamcha, I'm sorry, but I ran out five months ago."

"That's a shame," Yamcha said, before turning on his side to talk to Goku. "You've gotta beat him. If any of us can do it, it's you Goku. You've gotta win it for me."

"I will Yamcha," Goku said. "Tien won't win the tournament. I promise."

Gohan smiled, his father promised Yamcha and Gohan knew he'd do everything he could to fulfill that promise.

"Good." Yamcha said before looking up at a circular white clock beside the room's television "Now get outta here you guys, it's already six o'clock, you must be starving."

* * *

The crowd, now knowing what to expect and as they filed into the tournament grounds, were much more silent than the day prior. Each went to their seat eager for the future matches where they hoped Tien would get what he deserved; they all now knew the cruelty of the Crane School.

The announcer came out swiftly to greet everyone. "Hello everybody! Hope you had a great night's rest because today is the second day of the Twenty-Second World Martial Arts Tournament! And we're going to start today off right with a battle between our returning champion Jackie Chun and Man-Wolf! All you have to do now is sit right there and allow us to bring out the fighters, so be ready. I've got a good feeling about today!"

Soon the contestants were brought out onto the battlefield and the crowd didn't waste a second voicing their approval for the old man. Many clapped and even more cheered his name as he took his spot on the platform. His opponent, on the other hand, foamed at the mouth as he waited at the opposite side of the ring, he had waited month's for the very moment he could get revenge for Roshi blowing up the moon.

"Well, gentlemen I assume you are both familiar with the rules after yesterday so...YOU MAY BEGIN!"

Man-wolf walked up to Roshi growling with foam and saliva dripping from his jowls.

"You uh...need a little something for that?" Roshi said as he searched his coat pockets in vain. " I'm sorry but it seems that I left my handkerchief in my other suit."

"You shut up! Do you know what you've cost me, Chun? I used to be human until you took away the moon! I used to have a name before I resorted to this rediculous stage name. I used to be Otoko but now all I am is this! This ridiculous furry monster!"

"Listen, I'm sure you have your grievances but I'm far too tired right now to listen to them. I think I'll go wait over there for a minute until you've calmed down." Roshi said as he began walking towards the edge of the stage.

Insulted, Man-Wolf could hardly contain himself, he threw himself into a sprint and swung at Roshi, but only managed to hit the air where he stood.

Roshi yawned and said "You really need more practice. I think I'm falling asleep over here."

Man-Wolf attempted more swings but never managed to even get close to touching Roshi, he even tried to fake a swing with his right and go in with a left but all that got him was kicked onto the ground.

With his inconsistent fighting style and real lack of proper technique, Roshi could tell Man-Wolf was fighting off of emotion alone, it was something he could respect but not something he would encourage any longer.

"Alright, listen Man-Wolf, I think you've had your fun now so what do you say I fix this little predicament of yours?"

"Fix this?! Just how can you fix this!" Man-Wolf screamed angrily.

Roshi smiled, "Hypnosis of course." He paused, revealing a beef bone from his coat sleeve "Just fetch this bone boy!"

Like a trained dog, Otoko hopped off the stadium as the bone landed in the grass and as everyone laughed at him he couldn't feel any more stupid. He dropped the bone and walked up on stage towards Roshi. "I can't believe you tricked me like that Chun! I'll kill you for it!" he said as he swung his claws at Roshi. Roshi easily deflected his arms and froze him in place using his easily attackable pressure points.

"W-what did you do to me?!"

"I froze you so I could explain a little bit more. First I want you to know that I tricked you only so that I could help you; I can't have you trying to rip my head off as I turn you back into a human now can I? Secondly I needed you to stand perfectly still for this to work."

"For what to work?!" Otoko cried.

"You see that bald boy hanging on the wall over there?" Roshi asked as he pointed out Krillin.

"Y-yes, I do...But-"

"That's good, all I need you to do is focus intensely on his head and I can do the rest."

Otoko reluctantly complied with Roshi's request and looked at Krillin's head.

Roshi cleared from Man-Wolf's line of sight. "You see its circular shape? How it sheens in the sunlight, almost glowing with a lunar-like luster?"

"I-I do..."

"Doesn't it seem so relaxing, so familiar just like the moon?"

"It...it does, doesn't it?"

"That's because it is the moon Otoko, it is the moon."

Something must have clicked for Otoko because in the next moment his body began to morph back into its human form and although the transformation wasn't pretty the crowd clapped as Jackie Chun helped return a lost man his identity.

"Jackie...I can't believe it but you did it!" Otoko cried as he locked Roshi in an enormous bear hug "I'm actually human! Thank you so much!"

The announcer awkwardly climbed up on stage, thus far this tournament was turning out to be the strangest he'd ever hosted. "Alright folks, now how heartwarming was that!? What a pair those two, both entering the ring as enemies and leaving together as friends! That's something you don't see every day now is it?!"

He paused as the crowd showed their agreement. "Now the next match I expect to go a little bit differently because next up is Krillin and Chiaotzu! They may be the smallest of our contestants but that doesn't mean they still can't pack a punch! Sadly, we will be taking a brief intermission as I am getting word one of them is taking a little bit longer to get ready so please be patient and we'll be right back after this brief intermission!"


	34. Chapter 34: Redemption and Heartbreak

Gero walked along his narrow empty halls, the sounds of his shoes clacking against the metal white tiled floor being the only noise that accompanied him. He had committed these halls to memory long ago and briskly walked towards his monitoring room. As he passed by he glanced over the fabrication room with the numerous synthetic limbs being sewn together by advanced robotic hands, he tried smiled at the rate of his facilities efficiency; it was the best laboratory he had ever worked in but by far the least enjoyable. He made another passing glance at the storage room with its many vertical cylinders, each housing one of his brand new models. It was nearly time for their release, just a little bit longer, still one more empty case to fill. He made a swift left around that room and bored right to enter the monitoring room. The carpeted floor was a nice change of sound from the clacking of tile, it drives him crazy every day considering it is one of the only noises he consistently hears. He sat down in his leather chair and flicked on the monitors and closed his eyes.

He could hear the sounds of the crowd, their cheers, and general excitedness, he tried to envision him and his androids blasting away the crowd, turning their cheers into cries and screams, but he just couldn't. He could hardly remember the fire that had been driving him for so long, it was replaced by some mixture of self-hatred and loathing that fueled his work. He constantly wondered how he could stop now after he'd thrown away so much for this one goal.

He opened his eyes and saw Gohan in the stands, dressed in his child father's blue gi. He hadn't observed him in quite a while but seeing his happiness now, it infuriated him. Perhaps an ember of that fire still remained.

_How is it that he could be this happy? Constantly living a lie and hiding under some poor nom de plume, it's sickening. That's exactly why I rid myself of the hassle. By getting rid of my younger self I made production much more efficient. Not to mention less...distracting..._

_I don't remember crying that much over Gebo's death._

He looked back at the screen to see Gohan and Bulma cheering, he sneered and stood from his chair. Quickly, he ran over to the storage room, and considered, only just for a moment, going on without his final android but he decided against it. Some wild, manic expression overtook his face and he shut the door to storage.

_Yes...I'll be patient a little bit longer. One more day of waiting will be well worth it._

* * *

Going into the fight Gohan knew Krillin was at a major disadvantage, he could tell, even with the little amount of power he was displaying, that Chiaotzu had much greater ki control than Krillin. After all, Chiaotzu had the ability to fly which theoretically should have won him the match but he over-relied on it to keep him out of Krillin's range and it slowly drained his energy reserves.

Gohan supposed that 'major' wasn't necessarily the right word considering that Krillin was stronger; he just didn't know how to control and properly use that power as effectively as Chiaoztu. Nevertheless, the match was over and so was his father's match with Pamput.

It went about as well as anyone could have expected it: A normal boy with a better than average physique going up against a Saiyan that can lift over ten thousand of his own body weight. It was good that his father knew the power difference between them because otherwise Pamput may have wheeled out of the world tournament rather than walked.

But Master Roshi's fight with Tien was truly the best out of the tournament that far. After Tien figured out Jackie Chun was actually Master Roshi, Gohan felt his emotions clash like tidal waves the whole way through. Every sympathetic and father-like word that Roshi spoke to Tien seemed to make him more and more conflicted. Gohan knew his father believed in change like that but he hadn't ever seen it happen so rapidly. The only case close enough that he could compare it to was Vegeta's "redemption" but that hardly compared to the genuine and rapid-fire inner-conflict that Tien endured through the battle. The crowning jewel of the fight was absolutely Roshi walking off the platform. It was both a surprise and a heartwarmer to Gohan because Master Roshi was doing what he always seemed to do when times were tough or serious; he was trying to help. Help Tien like he was trying to help him. He found that honorable about Master Roshi, that despite his poor behavior around women and general goofiness that he was truly a great fighter who cared about the people he both taught and fought against.

Krillin and Goku's match was good as well. Gohan thought his father displayed great technique and great control in his attacks. It almost reminded him of their sparring except for the part where he let Krillin grab onto his tail. His father's poor acting as he reeled around on the ground in fake pain nearly had him laughing in the stands, but he was able to control himself. Just barely. And when Goku knocked Krillin off the stage Gohan was impressed by just how much more powerful his father had gotten in three years, the progress was clear and Gohan knew he was at least as strong as Tien if not stronger. Sadly, the announcer called the day early again, he claimed it was because of weather concerns but there was no rain that night so whatever it was must have been for some different reason. Perhaps they wanted Tien and Goku at their best for the next day? Gohan thought that seemed plausible.

The morning came quickly and now it was on to the final match, the match that he and everyone else had been waiting for: Goku versus Tien. The two strongest fighters in this time would finally get to test each other in the ring to see who's best. His heart pounded as his father walked to his corner and Tien walked to his. The announcer seemed excited as well.

"Good afternoon folks! As you know..." His words seemed to fade for Gohan, as did the sound of the crowd. He looked at his father standing, somewhat facing towards him. He could see that strong, determined look in his eyes. He could see how much he wanted to win and feel just how much he wanted to protect Yamcha's honor. To get justice for him, Nam, and whoever else Tien had hurt to get where he was in this tournament.

Gohan smiled.

_We trained for three years. Three whole years at grandpa Gohan's home...our home. I know I had to lower my power level even lower than yours to train with you, but every day, no matter how sore we both were, or how badly the bruises we were covered in hurt, you always got up to train. You broke every record you set for yourself and went even further. The crowd's rooting for you._

_I'm rooting for you._

_Try your best and I know you can win this time! I believe in you, Daddy!_

Gohan stood and yelled, "Go Goku! You can do this!" Immediately prompting Bulma and the others to do the same. Even Yamcha, who snuck out of the hospital with crutches just to be there, stood from his seat and clapped for him.

Tien grit his teeth as the crowd rooted for Goku, usually, the thoughts of others didn't bother him much but today was an exception. He kept going over Roshi's words in his head. Over and over, like a broken record, Roshi's criticisms of Shen echoed throughout his mind. He had decided they weren't random and meaningless drivel meant to weaken his resolve only because if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was Shen's cruelty towards Chiaotzu.

As their training went on, Tien had firmly taken the star student status and Chiaotzu became the lesser and objectively slower student, which meant he was subject to Shen's worst tendencies. Whether it was random beatings with a training stick, constant insulting, or a ridiculously impossible training regimen, there was always some unjustified punishment for him. It made Tien sick, which may be why he was questioning why he listened so someone so awful, and already so far beneath him in terms of strength. He wondered why he let Shen do that to Chiaotzu, especially since he's the one and only friend he's ever known.

Tien turned his head and looked to the crowd, many were booing at him while others cheered for his opponent. For a moment, he sympathized with the crowd; he understood and accepted that all their distaste for him came from his own cruelty. It was sobering to see how his actions affected those around him and although he didn't feel any guilt, he understood their anger. He could see the legacy of the Crane Hermit School and how it has shaped him and shaped others' opinions of him. He no longer wished to be apart of it, but of course, that didn't mean he still wouldn't walk away with the trophy. No, he came to win and he will win, not for his school, but for Chiaotzu and for himself.

He looked back at Goku, he hadn't known him very long but from what he could tell he was loyal, protective, competent, and at least gifted in some capacity; his killing of Tao was proof enough of that. Still, he shouldn't be a problem, Tien was roughly double his size and had at least four more years of fighting experience on him.

"YOU MAY BEGIN!" The announcer shouted.

Goku could hardly wait to get started and wasted no time in going after Tien. He ran towards him and jumped over his attempted left kick. Tien, surprised at his aggressive tactic attempted to swipe Goku off of him but he missed entirely, Goku already had his tail wrapped around his extended leg and used his momentum to swing around and slam Tien's sternum with his left fist.

Tien wasn't fazed but was knocked back by the punch. Not willing to let Goku have the positional advantage, Tien jumped into the air and focused his ki to keep himself suspended. Goku hardly thought about Going after him, it was just instinctual that he'd jump up and pursue his opponent and so he did. As he climbed through the air he noticed his mistake as Tien raised his hand.

"DODON RAY!" Tien roared.

Goku was blasted back towards the stone arena and crashed directly into it, shattering the floor and creating a divot where Goku laid, unobservable from any stand watcher. Tien landed near the opposite end of the ring, looking pleased with himself. His eyes widened when Goku ran from the divot, seemingly unharmed from the impact, straight towards him. He vanished, and Tien had only a second to use his third eye to help scan for him. Luckily, he was just barely able to see Goku move behind him, so he swung his arm around and hit him with a backhand punch.

Goku was sent flying towards the wall that still had the ring ground beneath it, and once his back was against it, Tien attacked with as many punches as he could get in against his much smaller opponent. He concluded his rapid punches by grabbing Goku's arm and throwing him a few feet away.

Tien relaxed again, there was no way he would be able to get up after that.

The crowd again grew silent. The announcer began to sweat, unsure of whether or not this final match was over so soon. He barely raised his microphone before Goku hopped up like nothing had happened.

"What!?" Tien exclaimed "What's wrong with you kid, just stay down! I've already beaten you!"

"Beaten me? But we just started..." Goku innocently replied. "And I haven't even really been trying yet!"

Tien smiled "Hah, let me guess you've been holding back because you're concerned for my safety?"

"Yeah, I have to make sure I don't get carried away...but don't worry I'll fight normal now."

"Well, from what I've seen of you so far in this tournament, your 'normal' isn't that great, so I'd still consider surrendering before I accidentally kill you."

"You can try Tien!" Goku said with an eager smile.

Goku got back in his stance and as soon as Tien did, Goku punched his jaw sending a small splatter of blood from his mouth. He then kicked Tien into the air and as he was sent skywards Goku began charging his kamehameha.

"KA-" He paused, whether it was a vague intuition or something else, he decided against using the kamehameha so early, he'd at least let Tien hit the ground first. In the few seconds Tien was rising into the air, Goku noticed Master Roshi appear by Krillin in the tournament participant section, but he quickly turned his attention back to Tien.

As Tien began to fall back to the platform, he regained control of himself and landed in a crouched position, wiping his smile clear of blood. "Thank you, Goku," Tien said. " I haven't bled or been hurt like this in a long time. It feels...exhilarating! Maybe you will be a challenge after all!"

Tien pushed towards Goku and Goku was quick to push back, as soon as the two collided they threw massive combinations towards each other, only for each and every one of each other's hits to be blocked or dodged. But with Goku's smaller stature and faster punches, he was beginning to push Tien towards the edge of the ring.

"Look at Goku folks! He's started pushing Tien and from the looks of it he has no intention of slowing down!"

Tien continued backing up, he wasn't willing to begin tapping into his reserves but he was rapidly losing ground, before he knew it his heels were against the edge of the ring. It was lucky that just as he needed it, an opening appeared in Goku's left and he kicked him back starting an offense of his own. Goku continued to give ground as he dove away from Tiens attacks, eventually backing off entirely and splitting himself into ten using the afterimage technique.

Tien circled around, looking at all the split versions of Goku. "Nice try, but no silly illusion will work on me!" He said as he spotted Goku above him. He punched him, only to discover he had just hit another afterimage and opened himself up to Goku's multitude of gut punches that concluded with a kick across the stage.

This was the first time Tien had definitively been downed, even Goku was a little surprised that he didn't get back up immediately. He grunted, holding onto his stomach as he struggled to his feet.

Tien was now livid, he hadn't been bested by an afterimage technique in years. He didn't understand how he didn't hit Goku, but he didn't care. He was so angry he had a difficult time even thinking straight "You think some stupid trick like that will beat me!" Tien said, a vein popping out of his forehead.

Goku raised his brow "I don't know, you seem a little hurt by it..."

"You dare mock me!?" Tien said as he raised his hands to his head.

Gohan knew what was coming next: a solar flare. If there was one technique as frustrating as it was effective, that was it, and it was one his father had no defense for. And despite their differences in power even Gohan knew better than to not close his eyes for this. Gohan shielded his eyes from the blinding light, just as the audience did, and to his surprise, his father wasn't even on the ground when the light dissipated. In fact, he was holding Tien's punch and wearing Master Roshi's sunglasses.

Goku once again punched Tien in the stomach, and this one really hurt. It felt like an ox kicking him square in the body, and he grabbed at his abs immediately. As he backed away and recovered, he watched Goku walk calmly over to Master Roshi and hand him his sunglasses back. As soon as Tien realized what had transpired he regained his strength and leaped toward Goku, kneeing him in the jaw.

Goku recovered and landed on a further portion of the platform, away from Roshi and Krillin.

"The novelty's worn off Goku! Give up if you know what's good for you!" Tien commanded.

Goku clenched his fists and held them readily in front of him"No way! I'm not giving up for you or anybody."

"Fine, then everything that happens after this point is of your own doing!" Tien said, readying himself for another round.

The two moved towards each other once more, ready for another exchange of hits but when Tien threw his next punch it was like Goku had froze, and he knocked him onto the floor. Tien continued his assault and it looked like every couple of counters Goku just froze, or slipped up and allowed another hit to land.

"S-stop that!" Goku said as he stumbled to his feet.

"Stop what? You're the one who keeps pausing every couple of seconds. It's not my fault you can't block my attacks."

"I'm not pausing!" Goku said. "And you better stop whatever you're doing because that's not fair! You should play by the rules like everyone else!"

Tien grit his teeth. "Play by the rules? I am playing by the rules, you moron! Whatever's going on with you is your problem, I have nothing to do with it!"

Gohan watched worriedly from the audience, he knew full well these cheap hits were all due to Chiaotzu freezing Goku mid-fight, but he couldn't do a thing about it. He cringed each time Shen directed Chiaotzu to stop Goku and winced at each hit that followed. He hoped his father had some sort of card up his sleeve right then, under those conditions, the odds weren't looking too good.

Tien charged forward again, uppercutting Goku who seemed to pause just before his hands came down to block the punch. This was beginning to seem suspicious even to Tien. Judging from this kid's ability to throw a punch and his speed and agility shown earlier in the match, there's no way he should be reacting that slow.

Tien kicked Goku back onto the floor and allowed him to get back up, it was clear that his hits were beginning to have an effect on the boy as he rubbed his cheek as he stood back up. Tien decided he was going to try a little experiment, he closed the short distance between him and Goku and threw another punch.

Just as he suspected, Goku froze just before he could block the punch, and so Tien stopped it himself, pausing mere centimeters from Goku's face. Now he could tell what was going on, Goku's freezing wasn't the ineptitude of an inexperienced fighter, he was being attacked telekinetically, and the only one with that kind of control other than Tien himself was Chiaotzu.

Goku unfroze and dashed away from Tien, trying to get as much distance as he possibly could.

He looked around the audience and spotted his master in the front row. He could see his master's sly, wrinkled grin as he sat hunched over the concrete bannister, directing Chiaotzu's every move. Tien was furious, not only was this a breaking of the tournament's rules, which could get him disqualified, this was a personal insult to him as a warrior. How dare Shen think he'd need any kind of help in any fight, let alone in the world tournament!

"Shen! Get away from Chiaotzu right now!" Tien cried.

The sudden voicing towards the audience surprised the spectators and drew much attention to Shen.

Trying to play it off Shen gripped onto Chiaotzu's wrists, bringing his hands down to his sides. He responded quickly, attempting to sound as clueless as possible "What are you talking about Tien? Focus on your match! You're so close to winning!"

Tien could see Chiaotzu was frightened, his eyes pleaded with Tien to stop and continue the match, but that was the last thing that was going to happen. "Shen, I know what you've been making him do! Now let go of Chiaotzu's wrists before I step off this platform and do it myself!"

Shen growled before saying, "I have no idea what you're talking about! Now, I command you to finish this match. Because if I hear one more word come from your petulant mouth, I swear I'll ban both you and Chiaotzu from this school!"

The announcer walked beside the stage, in between Tien and Shen. "Gentlemen, gentlemen...a little civility, please? We're trying to run a tou-"

The announcer was cut short by Tien. "Do you think I care about your school? You think I care about the ramblings of a man so deluded by the passing of time he can't even see that his own brother was a killer for money?! Your school is worth nothing! Chiaotzu and I are better off leaving it right now than enduring one more day with you!"

Gohan sensed Shen's anger rising, as well as his ki. Either he was flexing to try and scare off Tien or he was planning on doing something, either way, Gohan wouldn't take any chances.

"You dare desecrate the memory of my brother?! Hng, well I suppose it will be pretty hard for you to both leave my school when there's only one of you left!" Shen said, as he began focusing energy into his hands and subsequently into Chiaotzu's wrists. Gohan wasted no time and in the blink of an eye, ran from his seat down to Shen and ripped his hands from Chiaotzu. Before Shen could have a chance to respond Gohan slammed the old man's solar plexus, disabling him, and then knocking him out with a quick jab to the cheek.

"Escort that man out of the tournament!" The announcer commanded. "We will have no threats like that being made by an audience member! And please gentlemen, make sure Chiaotzu and his rescuer are all right."

The staff came out quickly and hauled Shen away from the stands, although no one knew exactly where they were taking him. Chiaotzu, after stating that he wasn't harmed by Shen, was allowed to stay in the audience. Tien followed Gohan with his eyes as he returned to his seat, he remembered that blue gi, and he also he remembered pushing Gohan down as he arrived at the tournament. He had no idea that a random friend of Goku, an opponent Tien viewed as so far beneath him, would be willing to risk their life for someone they didn't even know.

Tien looked at Goku and back towards Chiaotzu. He regretted his cruelty towards everyone; Gohan, Nam, Yamcha, the countless contestants he's hurt in his pursuit to become the best, all of his cruelty resonated with him now and he needed a way to atone for their mistreatment.

"Gentlemen, you may continue your match. And I would like to say: We apologize for not handling that man sooner."

Tien nodded a thank you toward the announcer and got back in his fighting stance, although, at least for the time being, he had no intent on fighting. He watched Goku get into his stance as well, and once he was ready, Tien charged forward. The first hit was towards his ribs which were softened already by Goku's blows earlier in the match; that was for Nam. The second hit was where his humerus connected with his clavicle; that was for Yamcha. The third hit which came as a kick to his jaw; that was for Goku's friend and all the others he had mistreated. He was planning on taking a few more hits, just as payment for the strikes he got in while Goku was frozen, but Goku used his kick to fall away from Tien and he refused to attack again.

"Hey, why'd you stop fighting?" Goku asked, lowering his guard.

"It was my way of saying sorry Goku. I'm sorry for pushing your friend over when we first met. I'm sorry for sending Nam to the hospital. I'm sorry for breaking Yamcha's leg. But most of all, I'm sorry Chiaotzu interfered in our match, and now that all debts are paid we can finally continue."

"You didn't have to do that." Goku said.

"Hm, what do you mean?" Tien asked.

"You kind of pulled your punches when I froze up, so I wasn't hurt that much, and you standing up to that bully was a good enough way of saying sorry for me."

Tien's smiled for the first time in years. "You are very strange Goku. Definitely the strangest opponent I've ever faced. Perhaps I can teach you something after I win this tournament."

Goku confidently smiled back "Stop holding back and we can find out if you really do have anything you can teach me."

Goku waited until Tien was ready and then began their brawl. It was constant, lightning-quick strikes with both blocking dozens of the other's attacks in seconds. Tien's height advantage allowed him to get in more hits on Goku's jaw but at the cost of his own ribs, which with each coming blow, felt like they broke multiple times over.

Goku observed one of his hits on Tien have an exceptionally large impact, which distracted Tien enough so that Goku could sweep his legs and kick him towards the wall of the platform. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for, no possible civilian injuries, and Tien would either be knocked out of the ring or knocked unconscious, now was time for his kamehameha.

"KAMEHAMEHA!" Goku screamed as he rapidly condensed his energy into a ball and released it towards Tien.

Just as Tien stood up off the stone floor, he blocked the last with his arms and eventually slithered out from behind causing the wall behind him to be smashed to pieces. He once again got back in his stance and slowly marched towards Goku.

Breathing heavily he said, "That was a good move Goku. If I were you that's exactly what I would have done as well."

Goku, sounding just as winded as Tien replied, "Thanks Tien. Think you can still fight a little bit longer?"

"Don't count me out just yet! I haven't lost a fight in over five years. If anything I should be asking you if you can still fight after how much energy you used with that kamehameha."

"I feel great." Goku replied.

The midday sun shined overhead of the two and as they continued wearing each other out, the heat of the day increased. Goku continued to whittle down Tien's chest as Tien did the same to Goku's shoulders and jaw.

Eventually, the two were at the edge of the stage, both so exhausted they hardly had the speed to break the other's defenses anymore. Luckily, Goku had Tien against the edge of the stage, all he needed was one more good hit, and down he'd go. The whole crowd was standing at this point, Gohan tapped his foot anxiously as Tien blocked each attack his father threw at him.

Tien was deep in thought, he had his heels against the edge of the stage and he was trying to come up with a strategy to finish this seemingly endless battle. He blocked Goku's attempts to hit him off the stage and suddenly an idea came to him. He decided to push Goku forward and instead of pursuing he dropped to the floor himself and swept him off his feet. Using his legs he grabbed Goku to propel him off the stage. What he did not expect was for his leg to be grabbed by Goku's tail, sending him off the stage as well.

Both landed in the grass, seemingly at the same time.

"What an incredible fight!" The announcer proclaimed. "It looks like both of them landed off the stage at the same time! Now, we do have high-speed cameras recording from our studio but it will take a minute for them to recover the footage, so please be patient as we announce the winner!"

Tien rolled over and looked at Goku, "Sorry to pull that on you Goku, but I think we may have been up on that stage a lot longer. You're much tougher than I thought."

"So are you, Tien, I could have sworn I beat you with that kamehameha."

Tien sat up and extended a hand to help Goku. "Good match."

Goku accepted the assistance. "Good match, Tien."

The announcer held onto his earpiece as the boys in the recording center instructed him. He dropped his hand to his side and raised the microphone to his mouth. "Okay folks, it wasn't an easy decision but we had a definite confirmation on the winner. By only a .122 millisecond lead...Tien is the winner!"

"What?!" Tien said confusedly, although no one heard him as the crowd flooded the tournament floor and roared with cheers and admiration for their new champion. It seems in the short time he had to prove himself to them, he had succeeded in gaining their approval and although the cheers were a refreshing change, he couldn't help but feel they were all for the wrong person.

Gohan hopped over the concrete banister and walked over to his father, he seemed surprisingly happy for someone who had just lost the world tournament as the runner up for the second time in a row.

"Jack! I saw what you did out there and it was amazing! Great job helping Tien's friend, that awful Crane guy deserved every bit of it."

Gohan was surprised that out of everything that happened today that was what he chose to ask him about. "It was nothing Goku. But I have to ask are you really not upset about losing after we trained so hard for the past three years?"

"Well, I guess I'm a little upset I lost, but what I'm really grateful for is all the experience I got today! I think I'll remember that fight for a long time."

Gohan smiled, he couldn't believe that despite losing the most prestigious tournament in the world for the second time, his resolve and good nature shined once again.

It took hours for the crowd to dissipate tournament grounds. It seemed that even after sitting for hours watching one of the most exciting matches any of them had ever witnessed, many were still full of energy, and apparently enough to celebrate their new champion right there on the spot. But eventually, around six o'clock, every spectator had made their way out of the stadium and back into the city.

Tien, along with Chiaotzu, waited in the main hall as all of Goku's friends came to see him. He saw Yamcha with his crutches, walk right up to Goku and congratulate him, and surprisingly Yamcha then began walking toward him. Tien was silent even up to when Yamcha got right in front of him, he couldn't imagine what he was going to say.

Yamcha smiled, "You fought well Tien."

Tien was astounded, he stuttered out a reply. "T-thank you Yamcha..."

Yamcha tapped Tien's shoulder. "And don't feel bad about the leg. It'll heal like everything else does."

"I-"

"But...you better be ready for a rematch at the next world tournament."

Tien smiled, after witnessing Gohan's good deeds, Goku's kindness in the ring, and now Yamcha's forgiveness, he had no choice but to condemn every bit of his past. "You got it Yamcha."

"Hey Tien," Master Roshi said. "What you did out there today, standing up to Shen, it was very brave of you. I know how deep he can sink his claws into people and once they're in, it's nearly impossible to dig them out, but you did it. Now you and your friend Chiaotzu, you're free"

"M-master Roshi...I-I can't explain to you how sorry I am. About everything. I never deserved to win this tournament." Tien said, extending his arm out with the five hundred thousand Zeni prize. "Please give this to Goku, he's the real winner."

"Tien, you fought hard today, for Chiaotzu, and for yourself, you deserve that money just as much as Goku."

"No, you don't understand: I didn't win the tournament. When Goku grabbed my leg with his tail he just barely flung me in front of him. I don't know what kind of cameras they've got but I know for a fact I landed first." Tien said. "So please if you won't take all of it, just take half."

Roshi stroked his beard. "Well, it's not up to me to decide Tien, you'll just have to ask Goku."

Tien frowned but accepted that that's the way this must be. He walked over to Goku and felt Bulma and Puar's angry eyes track him. "Goku, I've already talked to Master Roshi about this, and I want you to take the tournament money. I want you to have it because I know you won this tournament, I landed first and I don't care if anyone else says differently; you're stronger."

Goku pushed Tien's hand away. "I know Tien, but it doesn't really matter. Even if I did win I wouldn't know what to spend the money on anyway so you can have it!"

"Then please allow me to cover tonight's dinner." Tien proposed. "It's the least I can do."

"Only if you and Chiaotzu eat with us" Goku said.

"O-okay," Tien said, once again stunned by Goku's kindness towards him. "If you insist."

As they walked towards the city, Tien looked behind him at Goku and the quiet boy in the blue gi, he just noticed how similar to Goku he looked, although he didn't say anything. He slowed his pace, inadvertently causing Goku to fall behind him. "Hey, I'm sorry I pushed you down a couple days ago. What's your name?"

"Jack." Gohan replied.

"Jack, I wanted to thank you for saving Chiaotzu. I don't know what Shen was planning but I have a feeling that if you weren't close by, I wouldn't have been able to stop it."

There was the familiar humble nature Gohan was accustomed to. "It's fine Tien."

"Hm, that reminds me...how did you know my name?"

Gohan blushed, he hadn't thought of a cover story for that yet but decided to stick to what he told his father, if only for consistency's sake. "You were at the last world tournament, weren't you? I participated the last time and I thought I remembered reading your name on the contestant list."

Tien squinted suspiciously at Gohan. "So, not willing to tell me the truth, then?"

Tien relaxed his eyes. "Well, I won't push the topic any further. I have no interest in making any more enemies, especially of friends."

Gohan breathed a sigh of relief as Tien and Chiaotzu followed Master Roshi ahead of the group.

Goku caught up to Gohan again. "That was weird, I wonder why he thinks you were lying."

Gohan cleared his throat. "Beats me."

The crowd wandered about the city for an hour or so looking for a restaurant. Tien denied multiple suggestions throughout their search because none of them felt worthy enough to treat his opponent. Eventually, they stumbled upon a nice upscale restaurant that Tien really felt everyone would like, especially Goku.

Just as they walked through the door, Goku patted his stomach. "Huh?" He exclaimed, feeling the left side of his chest. "Oh no, I left my stuff back at the tournament!"

Krillin, ready to make himself useful, said, "Don't worry Goku, I'll get it. I've still got some energy left from our fight and could use a good run anyway."

Before Goku could object to it, Krillin had already begun running back in the direction of the tournament grounds. Some part of Goku objected to that. He couldn't describe why, but inside something was screaming at him to stop Krillin. It didn't take long for Gohan to take notice.

"Something the matter Goku?" He asked while also looking at Krillin.

"I-I don't know..." he said, his voice trailing off. "Krillin-" He heard his stomach rumble.

"C'mon Goku, Krillin will be fine, but if we don't go in now they might order without us."

"R-right." Goku said, still following Krillin with his eyes until he turned the corner and disappeared.

Once they were seated, Goku stayed silent, glancing towards the door of the restaurant multiple times throughout the next couple of minutes. Gohan was sitting next to him and was also taking quick glances at the door as well, confused as to what his father was so anxious about.

After they ordered Gohan was startled when both Master Roshi and Goku stood out of their seats.

Tien, now concerned by their behavior asked, "Master what's the problem."

"Nothing!" Roshi replied. "Goku, Jack, you're with me!"

Tien began to rise out of his chair when Roshi snapped at him. "Stay right there Tien and don't move a muscle! I'm not sure what's going on but your the most capable fighter other than Goku right now and I need you here!"

Gohan was now worried, what was it Master Roshi was sensing that he wasn't? He searched for any malignant ki nearby but didn't sense anything. What was it they were in such a hurry for?

Roshi slammed through the restaurant's front door in his three-piece suit and opened the way for Goku and Gohan. He lost the lead as they were running back towards the tournament grounds. It wasn't that he was tired or losing speed, but that Goku was gaining it, and Gohan decided he would let his father lead while he checked in with Master Roshi.

"Master Roshi, what's the matter? I haven't sensed anything at all this whole time!"

Roshi continued to push himself as they now ran from the edge of the city. "That's not the problem Gohan! Krillin's ki just disappeared."

Now that he focused on Krillin, he couldn't sense him either and it terrified him. He ran ahead of Master Roshi in an attempt to catch up to his father, who had been running so fast he was already back at the tournament grounds.

The sun was now setting, and Gohan had just cleared the hill leading up to the tournament grounds, his heart pounding at the sheer terror of not knowing what was going on. He ran through the broken open contestant gate and continued towards the main hall. He climbed up the stairs leading to the elevated hall and froze when he reached the top.

Krillin laid on his back, with a stream of blood leaking from his mouth, forming a small puddle around his broken neck. His father was holding Krillin's head in his lap, allowing the blood around his friend's neck to soak his knees. He was crying, no, sobbing over him, so violently that he was shaking. When Goku noticed Gohan standing atop the steps, blocking the dying golden light, he looked at him.

Gohan could see the hurt and pain in his father's wet eyes. But it wasn't just pain he seemed to feel, something about his face looked like he'd just had his heart broken four times over. He looked like he just suffered the worst betrayal of his life, and he was blaming Gohan for it. Gohan, breathless and confused, took a step forward and read the small slip of bloodied paper that laid near Krillin's feet.

"Demon King Piccolo has returned."


	35. Chapter 35: Burdened Shoulders

Although he could no longer read them, the words strung together across the bloodied paper haunted Gohan. Repeatedly, he blinked away the thick mist covering his eyes just to re-read that same name over and over again. He didn't want to believe what he was reading but he didn't dare look away from it.

He felt his father's stare in every fiber of his being, he wanted nothing more than to disappear, to slink away into oblivion like the snake he felt he was, but his legs refused to move. His body forced him to the ground, and on his knees, he continued to stare at the paper, he would and could not face the horror, the confusion, the betrayal, and the awful sadness that his father bled from his soul.

"Jack.." Goku said, still cradling Krillin close to him. "Y-you lied to me...You l-lied...to me..."

Tears ran down Gohan's face, just hearing those words was enough to break any resolve he had left. He relaxed his fingers and the paper released itself and glided through the air. He saw the blurred white square land gently onto the floor, and then he wiped his eyes. He lifted his hung head and looked at his father. He looked like his heart had been torn to shreds.

"Why..." Goku asked, his voice cracking like glass. "I don't understand...J-just why?"

Gohan tried to speak but he couldn't even begin to piece any words together.

"I-I believed you, Jack...When you said Piccolo was no one, I always believed you..." Goku said, attempting to dry his tears. "So why did you lie to me!"

_Daddy..._

_P-please...d-don't yell at me..._

"I-I'm sorry..." he managed out.

Goku, while staring into Krillin's empty eyes, lowered his head off his lap. He gritted his teeth as more tears streamed down his red cheeks. "What else did you lie about?!"

_...Daddy..._

"G-Goku..."

"Why won't you tell me!" Goku screamed. "Did you lie about your father?! Your mother?! Your home in Mount Pouzu?! What?! Just tell me!" Goku pleaded. "Please!"

_...DADDY!_

Gohan leapt to his feet and threw his arms around Goku. He wailed, his tears soaking into the shoulder of his father's gi. "I-i'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He cried, hoping his father's arms would soon wrap around him and he'd hear his sweet voice console him like he always did. "I-I lied so much... And I'm sorry! I never meant to-to..." Gohan gripped the excess cloth at the back of his father's gi tightly. "It's all my fault! Everything's my fault!"

He waited for those arms, that strong embrace that always calmed him, that made him feel so loved and valued, but it never came. When he realized it he cried even harder, how could he have pushed him away again? Was him leaving not a good enough lesson? Did he need another round of punching just to get it through his thick skull that he is cursed to repeatedly shatter his father's heart? The heart of the man who always forgave, who always showed mercy even to the worst of people, who was always there to save the day.

All he ever wanted was to love him but all he ever managed to do was hurt him.

Goku frowned as he stared at the sunset behind Gohan's shoulder. "Why Jack?! W-why did you lie to me...All this time why were you lying to me?!"

"I tried... I'm trying to protect you..." Gohan whispered, his voice withering into nothing.

"Protect me?! Krillin's dead, Jack! He's gone! If you told me about Piccolo, maybe he'd still be here!"

"I-I didn't know!..." Gohan said, collapsing his face further into his father's shoulder, crying louder than ever. In between his cries, while he was trying to gather more air to continue crying, he spoke inaudibly, "Y-you never told me Krillin...died here."

"You didn't know what?!" Goku asked, struggling to keep his composure. "You aren't making any sense!" He screamed as he peeled Gohan away from him, placing him up against the wall. "What aren't you telling me!?"

Gohan couldn't bear the pain anymore, he hated all the lies, the deceit, the shuffling off in the middle of the night to scour the earth for Gero, he hated every part of the fabricated person he flaunted off to everyone else. He just wanted to be what he'd always been: the awful, disappointing, Gohan. Because at least then, despite the fact that he was an utter failure, he'd be himself. He'd be real.

"I-I'm from the future!" Gohan said before he sunk to the floor. He hugged his legs tightly as he continued to cry into them.

"W-what?" Goku asked.

Gohan raised his head from his knees, breathing a few times, calming himself momentarily to get a few words out. "I'm f-from the future, Goku..."

"Jack?..." Goku said confusedly. With hurt and anger in his voice he cried, "Why are you still lying to me?! Aren't we brothers? Don't you love me? Why won't you tell me the truth?!"

"He's not lying!" Roshi said as he climbed the final step up to the main hall, his eyes immediately drawn to Krillin.

"M-master?" Goku asked.

Roshi used his staff to support himself as he reluctantly made his way over to Krillin. "He's from the future Goku, but not by choice. He was taken here by an old scientist dedicated to destroying our world as we know it. He's been here all this time, trying to protect us."

"I-I don't understand..." Goku asked before turning to Gohan. "Jack...why didn't you tell me?"

Gohan didn't respond, he continued crying loudly into his knees.

"He didn't need to," Roshi interjected. "And you shouldn't have pushed him to say anything."

Roshi lifted up the note "But this...this doesn't have to do with either of you. This is the work of King Piccolo, one of the most terrible beings I, or anyone for that matter, have ever faced. As a matter of fact, I didn't even beat him. My master, Master Mutaito was the one to trap him in a rice cooker; it's funny, Shen and I, we knew it wouldn't hold him forever and we still did nothing to stop it. All these years we could have had to prepare and we still bickered like children."

Roshi crumpled up the paper angrily and threw it to the floor. "But Krillin wasn't killed by Piccolo, the body is still here after all. No, this was the work of one of his minions. All were known to appear and disappear without a trace. They'd drop in and wipe out entire villages without Shen or me ever even knowing. And from the looks of it, he got the drop on Krillin. He most likely had a mere second or two to comprehend what was happening but not enough time to ready himself for the fight. The monster who did this probably didn't even need to use any energy either, just snapped and...and then it was over."

Goku looked towards the floor, he was angrier at himself now. None of this would have happened if he had just gone back to get his stuff instead of Krillin. Eager to find anything that might help the situation, he looked toward his power pole and noticed the four-star ball was missing. Now he had a way to track the killer.

Goku knelt close to Gohan. "Jack...I'm sorry for what I said but right now we need to go after Krillin's murderer. You still have the dragon radar right? Back at the hotel? Let's get it and stop whoever did this. Like we did with Colonel Silver, General White, and all those other awful people. We'll do it together just like always. Then we'll wish him back." Gohan didn't respond "Jack, please...I'm sorry... I never meant to say any of those things. Just talk to me." He touched Gohan's shoulder which quickly jerked as Gohan moved away from him.

"No!" Gohan said, quickly getting to his feet. "No! It IS my fault! It's always my fault! I should have been able to tell!"

"Jack-" Goku said, hesitantly stepping towards Gohan.

Gohan wasn't willing to hear any more, he sprinted past Goku and Roshi.

"Goh- Jack wait!" Roshi commanded, but to his dismay, Gohan kept running.

He kept running until he was gone from the tournament grounds and then he jumped into the air, going super saiyan and flying as fast as he could from Papaya Island. He closed his eyes as he flew, the wind hadn't bothered him in years, since he had first learned to fly, but now, the wind stung and his eyes just couldn't take it. His tears continued streaming down his cheeks as he flew farther and farther away.

_I should have been able to tell! All my training and all my power and I can't sense something as easy as that?! I should have been there, nothing bad would have happened if I just listened to Daddy! He knew! He could tell something was wrong! Why couldn't I?_

_And the way he looked at me...the way his eyes looked..._

_I've never seen him so hurt before._

_And I did that to him._

_It was me._

_Me and my stupid selfish lies._

He kept going, flying until everyone he'd known was out of the range he cared to look for them in. He didn't know where he was going but he didn't care, anywhere isolated, where someone as awful as him could be alone, was good enough.

But after flying a little longer Gohan approximated that he couldn't get much further from Papaya Island, he'd flown so much that at this point it must be on the opposite side of the globe and any more flying would mean he's just going back towards it. Now all he wanted to sit somewhere and just be. He looked below him and noticed that he had just passed the shores of some mainland. He could see a forest up ahead and, although it was getting dark, he decided it would be a good place to further isolate himself in. He slowly lowered himself into the forest and dropped a few feet above the ground, the sound of the crunching leaves below him landing hushed the crickets for a moment.

He sat under the closest tree and dropped his power level as low as it would go.

The night gradually grew colder but Gohan didn't care, he shivered and shook but he would endure whatever nature had for him. He'd hoped that as the night went on the cold would numb him, help take away some of the pain he felt, but it didn't do anything, it just made him more alone as it pushed the crickets to silence. Even the wind had deserted him, making the leaves on the trees still and motionless.

The silence was the most unsettling thing about being out there alone. No one to accompany him, no one to comfort him, not even the moon to let him know that it wasn't just a sea of darkness. But he believed he deserved it, every second of that maddening silence was well deserved for everything he did and everything he couldn't do.

He sniffled and closed his eyes, curling himself up in a ball and shuffling as close as he could to the tree trunk. Surprisingly, he fell asleep shortly afterward, but it wasn't pleasant in the slightest. His nightmares started and occasionally a leg would spasm and he'd kick a stone lying next to the tree as he fought off the horrible nightmares. He'd have moments of stillness, moments where one hell would end and he'd be greeted by whatever blankness his mind had left, in that limbo he'd no longer struggle, then the next hell would arrive and his suffering would continue.

One dream was Nappa, beating him to a bloody pulp before killing Piccolo. In another, it was Vegeta kicking his father again and again as Gohan struggled to gather the strength to fight him. The one after that it was Frieza, taunting him that his father was too weak to stop him, and then sending Gohan flying towards Namek's burning fields with a flick of his remaining tail. On and on and on the nightmares kept coming, reminding Gohan of just how powerless and how useless he really was.

The sounds of the birds chirping and fluttering away from the trees woke Gohan. He didn't feel rested at all and was thankful to be awake. He stretched his stiff limbs and opened his eyes. Standing in front of him was Raditz and Nappa, both looked like they had been plucked straight from his nightmares.

Gohan wasn't frightened, perhaps it was the complete emotional overload of the day prior, but he didn't really feel anything but general confusion. "G-Gero?" he asked. "Why am I not already dead? Clearly, you had the drop on me. Shouldn't you have just killed me before I had the chance to fight back?"

"Aw, that's cute. He thinks he's still talking to the doctor Nappa." Raditz said.

Nappa grinned "Little fool."

"You're not already dead because I don't kill fellow Saiyans while they sleep. And there's something you should know little nephew: You don't get a direct line with the doctor anymore, not that it would matter anyway. No, now you just have Nappa...and me. I could have brought the rest of the android army including Vegeta, but they all agreed to wait their turn. You see I was the first Saiyan model built by Gero and with that, I get a certain measure of respect by my fellow androids." Raditz clasped his hands. "Now come on, get up! I've been looking forward to this for a long time!"

Gohan pushed off against the tree and got up. "Look, Gero, you're probably watching, can we just talk? I already know everything, I have Gebo's file and I already listened to-."

Raditz punched Gohan in the stomach, sending him back to the floor. "Sorry about that...you didn't seem to understand that Gero ISN'T HERE! It's just Nappa, you, and me."

Gohan grabbed at his stomach, that hit must have flicked a switch for him because now, it was like his emotions got turned back on.

"You know, we were surprised when you chose to stop here for the night, seeing as you're so far from Kakarot. Something happen between the two of you? Something personal? You know, I did feel his ki just kind of...drop...off my radar last night. Nappa and I would have been wondering where you were if we didn't already know."

"Y-you" Gohan stuttered, tears already threatening to make themselves known. "You better not have harmed him!"

"We didn't," Nappa said. "But you can bet we will after we're done here. If he isn't already dead."

"He's not dead! And even if you wanted to hurt him, you couldn't! Gero promised that he'd leave him alone and there's no way he didn't program failsafes into you after what happened to him the last time!"

Raditz shrugged, "Sure he programmed plenty of failsafes against us betraying him, although none of them are particularly effective, considering I've already removed the bomb inside my chest, but he never made any commands against harming Kakarot."

Gohan got back onto his feet. "You're lying!"

"Would I really lie to you? What do I stand to gain from that Gohan? You won't live long enough to stop us."

Gohan powered up into Super Saiyan. "I've heard those same words from everyone who came before you, and I'm still here, so good luck getting rid of me."

Raditz laughed and shook his head. "You know what Nappa, being that he is my nephew I don't know if I have the heart to kill him after all. Why don't you go first."

"You sure Raditz? Don't know if there'll be much left."

Raditz waved his hand dismissively. "No, no, I insist. Go ahead."

Nappa smiled as he took a few large steps towards Gohan "You put up a good fight against the biological me, but now, oh now you're way out of your league. I'm more powerful than even Cell was when he was fighting Kakarot."

"I beat Cell remember? Or are you just as stupid as the real Nappa?" Gohan quipped.

Nappa cracked his large knuckles. "Sure, you were more powerful then. Now...not so much."

Gohan waited as Nappa got closer, if there was a way he could end this fight quickly it would most likely be when he was close enough to get a body shot in on. He was a large target and a powerful strike to the midsection might be enough to break the skin and damage some internal wiring or tubing.

He waited until Nappa was within arms reach and then he struck as fast as he could, punching Nappa right where his solar plexus would have been if he was human. When his fist connected he felt like he was punching steel, needless to say, his sneak attack did nothing, he quickly jumped back, narrowly avoiding Nappa's fist.

"Smart, real smart kid, but you're far too weak for that to have worked." Nappa said. "You're lucky I threw a slow one at ya', otherwise you may have been down for good."

Gohan tried to look intimidating, putting the most intense glare on he could, but deep down he was not confident in the slightest. That hit to Nappa's midsection must have hurt his knuckles because he felt them pulsate, and when he moved his fingers around, it felt like his joints had hundreds of tiny needles sticking into them.

Nappa shook his head and showed off his large and gummy teeth in his uncomforting smile. "You know, you may be older..." He said. "But you've still got that same scared stiff look. You know what I mean. Like after I killed that Namekian, you looked the same then as you do right now."

He chuckled and kneed Gohan in the stomach before using both his fists to clobber him into the ground. "So weak!" Nappa shouted, kicking Gohan out of the divot in the earth he'd just made. "C'mon, get up! We just started!" Nappa angrily commanded. He waited for a second, just to see if Gohan would actually get up, but as he expected, he continued to lay face down. "Maybe..." He said, lifting Gohan up above his shoulders. "You just need a little help!"

Nappa threw Gohan like a ragdoll across the forest, splintering dozens of trees and knocking over plenty more. When he finally landed in a mound of mud and grass, like magma, the thick viscous mud roof dropped down and rolled over him, covering him entirely.

Nappa and Raditz walked over to the mound, Nappa had his hands on his sides and let out a long sigh. "Think I killed him?"

"Not sure, but Gero certainly won't accept that we just left the body here. Dig him out will you?" Raditz politely requested.

Nappa reluctantly agreed and began scooping out large handfuls of mud, albeit at a leisurely pace. He scooped and scooped until eventually, he could see some muddied locks of black hair. He gripped them and lifted Gohan out with ease. Gohan coughed and gasped as he finally had access to fresh air, but his relief was short-lived as he received a few hits to his ribs. Immediately he noticed he was having trouble breathing, he knew many of his ribs were now broken but he prayed none of them punctured his lungs.

Nappa smiled, "Well looks like he's still breathing."

Raditz rolled his eyes. "Continue then! We're here to have fun remember?"

Nappa readjusted his grip, holding one of Gohan's arms in either hand. "Okay kid, I've had my fun. I think I'll start breaking things now, but don't worry it won't be quick; I'll start with your arms, then maybe the rest of your ribs...I'm not sure. But if there's one thing I'm saving for last it's those long bones in your legs. The original me loved breaking those too, the screaming was always the best when you broke those last."

Gohan squirmed as Nappa slowly began to grip down on his arms. He flexed his muscles, trying to protect his bones underneath, hoping it would buy him some time to figure out a plan.

The pressure kept building and Gohan's mind blanked, he just kept trying to wriggle free.

He started to panic, trying to kick Nappa wherever he could to try and break his grip. He felt his muscles be forcibly squished and pressure on his humeruses begin to set in. The pain was already unbearable at this point and he began to scream as Nappa continued to squeeze.

His senses slowly dulled and the world around him greyed. He no longer tried to struggle, but it wasn't the beating, the lack of food, or the deprivation of sleep that broke him, it was the lack of hope. He knew he couldn't break free from this hold and he knew it meant his fate was sealed. His mind mostly eliminated the pain but he wouldn't have cared if it didn't; he'd suffered so much throughout his life, what's a little more just before the end? He just wanted it over with. He hoped it would be over with...soon...

**_What about mom?_**

_She doesn't even love me anymore._

**_What about the baby? Our brother?_**

_I could never be anything to him. Just a disappointment._

**_What about Daddy? If you go...he goes too. Everyone goes. Gero wins._**

Suddenly something snapped, but it wasn't his bones, it was something else, something just clicked and he could feel a new wave of power surge through him. The world came back to him and so did the pain, but now he had the means to stop it. Nappa continued to squeeze, he was now exerting some amount of effort and was too focused to notice Gohan.

With as much anger and effort as he could muster, Gohan headbutted Nappa, and it hurt, but he reveled in that it looked like it hurt Nappa much more than it did him. He was freed from Nappa's hands, and the giant grabbed his forehead feeling over every bit of the new dent he'd just incurred.

"You little bastard!" Nappa roared as he began hurling his fists at Gohan.

Although they were wild and unfocused those punches were still faster than anything Gohan had faced up until that point, but he was managing to dodge them. He didn't know exactly what power he was tapping into but it definitely wasn't Super Saiyan 2. In that form, he had so much power he didn't even know how to control it; but this, this was controllable and with every passing second, he could feel more and more power. It was nearly intoxicating. And it gave him more than enough confidence to press onwards. If he could label it, place it somewhere on the power scale, he'd place it closer to Super Saiyan 2, at least that's what it felt like; the fringes, the outside border of Super Saiyan 2.

After witnessing a few minutes of Nappa fruitlessly trying to strike Gohan, Raditz realized he was having trouble and joined in as quickly as he could; together the two threw everything they had at Gohan, but neither even managed to touch him. He pushed their fists away with ease and then decided it was their turn to feel a little pain. He punched Nappa's jaw sending him flying through the forest and then he kicked Raditz back in the same direction.

He flew up above and out of the trees, he could see Raditz fleeing somewhere east, no doubt he was going to get the other androids, and at this point, Gohan welcomed the challenge. Nappa, on the other hand, continued charging towards him. Once he got close enough, Gohan didn't even bother with hitting him, he just charged up ki blasts and began throwing them at him. The first piece of Nappa to be disintegrated was his left leg, then his arm, then his head, but Gohan didn't stop, he just kept throwing them until he was sure there was nothing left of the android. He was so focused on Nappa that he didn't even think about what was happening below them and once he stopped firing what must have been hundreds of ki blasts, he looked at the forest below him, and it was completely destroyed.

There were countless small smoking craters with a few isolated brush fires sprinkled in between but Gohan was far too angry to even care. He knew no one was nearby and if there were any animals in the vicinity, they left much earlier in the fight, which made this ground expendable.

He could still sense Raditz nearby, he was definitely flying east and by the looks of it, he was flying fast.

There wasn't even a decision to be made, Gohan had already ruined everything with his father.

This pursuit was all he had left.


	36. Chapter 36: Don't Leave Me

Gohan clenched his fist in anger as Raditz flew farther and farther away, he let him keep flying because he was in no danger of losing him, the android seemed to be too panicked to try and hide his power level. He growled and swung his fist to his side.

"You Coward!" He screamed, before charging up his ki and beginning his aerial pursuit.

He charged forward, with a long trail of yellow aura behind him. He knew it was only a matter of time before he'd catch up to Raditz but he sincerely hoped it would be enough for him to get to the rest of the androids; this anger he felt growing inside him needed some relieving. And right now, the only surefire way to relieve some would be to beat the life out of whichever android got in his way first.

This feeling of absolute hatred for something that wasn't even alive was completely alien to Gohan. He had never hated any of the other androids like this, not even Android 19.

Deep down some part of him was scared of what he'd do when he got to them, but the rest of his mind and body screamed for violence. Maybe this intense anger stemmed from his Saiyan DNA, maybe he was tapping into that dark power that let him defeat Cell, or maybe, it stemmed from how much he hated himself, he honestly didn't know. That too frightened him. What if after he was done with the androids he still felt that thirst for blood? What then? No one else could spar with him to help relieve his stress, not that anyone would want to anyway. He'd be forced to try and cope with it on his own, which he knew he was incapable of doing.

He was now close enough to see Raditz flying in the distance, he could hardly contain the hatred he felt for him, but he stayed back. They had been flying for a little while now, there's no way it could take too much longer, especially with how fast they both were going.

Raditz suddenly flew vertically and disappeared into the clouds. Gohan was quick to follow him, but as he was traveling through the fluffy, cotton-like clouds, he was met with a barrage of ki blasts. He deflected the first few that were coming directly at him, just to prove that he could, and then dodged the remaining oncoming blasts. He was grinding his teeth the entire time, these cowardly tactics were just what he'd expect from Raditz.

When he did make it through the clouds he was surprised to see several more androids floating next to Raditz, they were waiting there, hiding their power hoping to lure him in, and it worked perfectly. Gohan recognized some of the faces like Vegeta and Trunks but most of the androids looked rather generic, mostly because they all sported tails and wore matching body armor.

"You've miscalculated nephew! You may have bested Nappa but he was one of the earliest models, just like me. So I ask you, can you best all of us at once?"

Gohan had already heard enough of this insufferable monologue. Out of pure anger, he dug his fingers far into his palms and shouted, "When I'm done with you there won't even be enough parts or tissue to rebuild one single android! And if you weren't such a coward I would have already blown you to pieces! You prance around in your stupid armor and make such big claims because you're weak! You rely on others to do the fighting for you but it doesn't matter now! There could be a million of you and I'd still rip you all apart!"

Gohan, completely enraged, began charging up his ki. The light from the sheer amount of energy he was focusing was both hot and intense. He continually discovered that he could reach even deeper and pull out even more energy, so he did so, even causing arcs of electricity to appear around him, but then he felt a cap. And once he reached that cap, he knew no one there could stop him. He charged forward as fast as lightning and rammed the first android with his shoulder. Instantly the innards of the metal and flesh monstrosity were visible and Gohan wasted no time in blowing him away.

He carved through the generic types like butter, they were clearly the weakest, most likely because the Saiyan portion of their DNA was cloned or partially synthetic, but Gohan didn't know and he didn't care enough to theorize, they were his stress relief. Eventually, he was attacked by someone he did recognize. Vegeta had decided to try and sneak up on him while he was busy literally ripping the arm off of an android, and kick him in the spine. It was the biggest mistake of his shortlived life.

Gohan loved breaking his wrist, seeing him scream in pain. Deep down, he'd harbored a distaste for Vegeta, he never said it out loud because he knew the man was trying to be better but now Gohan could live out his horrible inner desire of breaking him like he broke his father. Back when he was only five.

He let him experience and understand that pain, allowing Vegeta to float a few feet back and feel his twisted hand and ruined wrist. Another android tried to interfere, Gohan just disintegrated him with a single blast, no one would ruin this moment. He cracked Vegeta's metal sternum after that, and in a quick succession of strikes, broke every single rib he had. At this point the android could no longer fly, Gohan was holding him by the shoulder strap of his body armor. He looked afraid, like how the real Vegeta always looked when he knew he was outclassed. Once Gohan knew he broke his spirit he splintered his sternum and collapsed the whole ribcage onto Vegeta's innards. Blood and coolant came flooding out, soaking the inside of his skin-tight suit, but Gohan didn't get the chance to see, he had already let go of him.

The next android he faced was Trunks. Even in his bloodlust, he didn't enjoy killing him, he was a dear friend and an invaluable ally during their fight with Cell. He quickly decapitated him and turned the rest of him to ash. He didn't think much of it though, at least not at first. He had plenty of other androids to deal with.

Like lambs to the slaughter, Gohan killed every single one that dared to try and attack him, and the very few that tried to flee received no better treatment, they were blown apart as well. With each kill, he added one more android to his mental count, of which eventually totaled 43, but his lust for violence wasn't satiated yet.

It was down to just Raditz and Gohan. Gohan had a mixture of sweat, blood, oil, and coolants dripping down his arms, he was breathing heavily as he stared at Raditz from a few feet away. In between his thoughts of imaginative ways to kill Raditz, he wondered why he didn't run during the fight, maybe he was stupid enough to believe his forces would actually win, maybe he was frozen stiff.

Raditz crossed his arms. "H-here's the deal nephew." He said, trying to eliminate the sound of fear in his voice. "If you spare me I-I'll take you to Gero. After all, I played by the rules remember? Rather than just kill you where you slept, I gave you the chance to fight! You remember, don't you? That shows my respect for you. You're a warrior! A real Saiyan!"

"You think I care that you didn't kill me?" Gohan could feel more anger welling up. "As far as I'm concerned you should have!"

"L-look maybe you need a minute to consider my offer. Think about it! You find the doctor and you get to go home right? Wouldn't that be nice...after all this time?"

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Gohan said, charging up his remaining energy and focusing it into his hands. "You're just trying to save your own skin!"

Raditz, realizing what was coming, turned tail and began flying erratically in the opposite direction.

Gohan pulled back his hands, forming a large ball of blue and white between his palms. "KAMEHAMEHA!"

The beam was enormous, and no matter how Raditz moved it always followed. It was perfectly centered when it slammed into his back and consumed the entirety of his being.

Gohan panted, holding his arms extended out in front of him. He waited for any more surprises. The sound of the wind was the only audible noise, the skies seemed perfectly clear now, serene and peaceful. Gohan dropped his arms to his sides, which now ached slightly, prompting him to do a little self-assessment. He felt his sides, he knew for a fact a few ribs were broken, but other than that there didn't seem to be much damage done to him. He felt his right hand's knuckles, and although they were covered in blood they didn't feel that bad, especially compared to after he first punched Nappa.

As his power level dropped, the anger began to disperse as well. He decided he'd try and calm down as much as he possibly could, starting with landing on the ground. He slowly floated down through the clouds and once he could see the earth below them, he frowned. Dozens of body parts were sprinkled throughout the meadow, some sparking with electricity, others leaking their different vital fluids.

He landed in the tall grass, gently placing his two feet on the ground. Right next to him he could see half of an android, he couldn't remember killing him, let alone ripping him in half. He stepped away from the corpse and continued to tread through a graveyard of his own making, and as he looked over the bodies he noticed he hardly remembered doing any of this to them. He tried to count the number of bodies but lost track shortly after starting. He knew he counted them before, as he was killing them, but, how many was that again? He couldn't remember.

He didn't necessarily feel bad about not remembering them, they were just machines after all. That was, until he came upon a few clumps of purple hair, floating in a tiny puddle of old rainwater. He crouched down and lifted a few strands; he couldn't believe he did all this. He never took such immense pleasure in killing anything before or since Cell, but he felt so much when he was killing them today.

Gohan's eyes filled with tears, his own cruelty was too much to look at. His hand was shaking but he tried desperately to lower the strands of hair back into the water gently. He did it without disturbing the water too much and then slid away from the puddle.

He felt so childish and weak, letting his emotions get the better of him like they so often do. Sure they saved his life but at what cost? He had the location of Gero's hidden base at his fingertips and he didn't realize it. He threw it away like it was nothing.

He then wondered what would have happened if his father was here, what if he saw how much he enjoyed killing every single one of these androids? What if he saw the gleeful smile he wore when he smashed Vegeta's chest in? How disgusted would he be? How disappointed would he be? But most of all, how horrified would he be? To see what his son had become. To see how far his happy little Gohan had fallen.

Gohan looked at his hands. They were covered in mud, coolant, oil, and blood. He needed to wash it off, now. Because if it dried there wouldn't be any getting it off, it would stick to his soul forever.

He looked around, that puddle couldn't be the only water nearby, the meadows were too thick and green for this to be dryland. He turned about and quickly spotted a larger lake roughly a mile into the distance. Eagerly, he flew over and landed near the edge of the water. He slowly crouched down, carefully so he wouldn't upset his fractured ribs. He sunk his hands into the water and scrubbed thoroughly.

The crystal clear water began to cloud with a mixture of liquids.

He kept scrubbing until he was sure there was nothing left on his hands, and even did a quick inspection just to be sure, then he cupped the water and splashed it onto his arms, he rubbed them to help quicken the removal of the drying fluids.

When he was done he sat back. He looked around the lake and at the birds flying in the near distance.

He needed someone to hold him now more than ever before.

He could dismiss plenty of things as him just overthinking, or being overly emotional, but this was real trauma, he knew that for sure.

He rubbed his sides and winced, he might not get a hug, but maybe he could get some advice and some senzu beans from Korin.

He took a look at the sun and made some approximations before heading southwest, he knew at some point he'd hit the coast and he'd be able to follow that south until he came across the Land of Korin.

When he began flying, it didn't take him long to get there, his sense of direction was especially good that day. The tower seemed as peaceful as it always did. He made sure to land on the observation deck just to be polite.

"Hello? Master Korin?" He called from the top of the stairs. "M-may I come in?"

A displeased Korin replied, "Yes Gohan, just come down the steps already."

Gohan walked down the steps at a leisurely pace, he didn't want to seem like he had only come for the beans. "Something wrong?" He asked as he hopped off the final step.

"I realize now why I have so little beans in the future Gohan."

"Really?" Gohan hesitantly asked. "W-what's the reason?"

Korin sat next to an empty jar and sighed as he tapped it a few times. "A few weeks ago a rare form of fungi developed on one. I thought I was able to get it away from the rest before it could contaminate them but I was wrong. It just ate them all Gohan. Three hundred years worth of beans gone in just a few days." Korin frowned and his whiskers drooped a little. "So much work gone in so little time." He cleared his throat. "Thank goodness it didn't get to my plants, otherwise there wouldn't be any more senzu beans ever again."

"But Korin, you can see the future. How didn't you know this was coming?" Gohan asked, trying to sound as polite as possible.

Korin rested his hand on the inside of his empty jar, rubbing the smooth glazed inside. "Well Gohan the way it usually works is my jars allow me to see things in the future, they could be distant or they could be close, but it only shows me certain things when it wants to. Aside from that, I can read people from the future, as I found out when you first arrived three years ago." He stood up and lifted the jar back up as well. "But it there's no way I could have seen this coming."

Gohan went to crouch beside the cat but his ribs stopped him from doing so."Korin? I hate to ask but do you have any left. I think my ribs are broken."

"Yeah I know kid, I can hear the ones snapped in half rubbing up against each other. Your knuckles are broken too, although they may not hurt that bad yet, you still have a lot of adrenaline flowing." Korin walked over to his desk and began looking through the drawers. "You're real lucky I had one bean sitting in my desk at the time of this whole mess, otherwise you'd be stuck with those injuries for the next month and a half." He pinched one out of a small and now empty bowl and quickly tossed it over to Gohan. "Eat up."

Gohan popped the bean in his mouth and swallowed it whole. His ribs felt better almost immediately. "Thank you." he promptly said.

The cat pushed the drawer closed slowly. "I probably have more lying around here somewhere but I'll need some time to look." He said before walking back over to Gohan, twisting his whiskers as he stepped.

Gohan could tell just by the strange, anxious way Korin was fiddling with his whiskers that he was going to say something unpleasant. "I know what happened between you and your father Gohan. That was a really bad move leaving him there. Those androids would have killed him if Tambourine hadn't nearly done it himself."

Gohan frowned, one more guilt to add to the growing list. "How badly was he hurt?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. Sense for him now Gohan. I know you don't want to but you should; he's fighting King Piccolo as we speak, and he's losing badly."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner Korin!" Gohan said, quickly searching for his father's ki.

"Because it just started." Korin said.

Gohan felt Piccolo's evil energy first, it was fluctuating slightly while his father's ki was declining much faster.

Gohan fiddled with his fingers, he wanted to help, but how could he show his face after what he'd done? He crouched down and looked at Korin's nearly closed feline eyes. "Korin what do I do? I-"

Korin smacked Gohan's knee with his wooden staff. "What kind of stupid question is that? You go out there and help him obviously!" He said frustratedly. Korin quickly stepped behind him and enthusiastically poked his back with the staff. "C'mon already, get movin' kid! Hurry, hurry!"

Gohan nodded, he was filled with anxiety, but he knew this was the right thing to do. He powered up to super saiyan and discovered that he could go even further, that new unknown form was still available to him. So he ascended and tapped into that power, using it to blast off from the tower and speed towards his father as fast as he could.

He could sense Goku's power level dropping fast, either he had just used up a lot of it to try and shift the odds in his favor or he'd just suffered a massive blow, and judging by Piccolo's stable ki, he'd say it was the latter. He wanted to speed up, but aside from the fact that he was so fast the environments he passed through merely looked like a mess of blurred color, and he risked not stopping at the exact right area because of it, he couldn't physically go any faster.

He could feel those kis get closer and closer until he was practically on top of them. They were only a few miles away when Piccolo's ki spiked massively and Goku's vanished.

His heart rate skyrocketed, and his luck worsened as he just ran into a massive storm of black clouds. He raised a hand above his forehead, and slowed down, attempting to keep the water out of his eyes. He knew the battle was done, Piccolo had already begun to leave the area, but he was still close enough that Gohan could use his ki to approximate where his father was last.

Flashes of lightning illuminated the darkened ground, and by pure chance, he spotted an orange gi in a small clearing. He flew downward so fast that when he hit the ground it was like a mortar shell, blowing water, mud, and stone all around him. He ran over to his father, he was on his right side, concealing his chest. Gohan rolled him onto his back and saw that his shirt was slashed open and a long but shallow wound on his chest was bleeding.

"Goku?!" he said, lifting his father's upper body. "Goku, can you hear me?!" He asked to no response.

Gohan placed his head against Goku's chest, it was eerily silent. Gohan knew exactly what he could do, if he needed his heart to beat, ki would be the perfect tool to use. He focused as much loving ki into his hands as was safely possible and transmitted it to him, praying that the charge was the right amount to reset his heart.

"Goku, if you can hear me say something!" He cried, placing his head back against his chest. Still, there was nothing.

The rain continued to pour on top of them, soaking Gohan's gi and further drenching Goku's

He charged up more ki into his hands, cupping them together and placing them right on top of his father's heart. He distributed it and pressed himself against his chest again, his heart was still completely silent.

Gohan was close to crying now and trying his best to put another round of ki into him. "Goku, please!" He pleaded. He placed his head back against his chest and still there was nothing. Why was there nothing? It shouldn't be taking so long for this to work.

He tried it one more time and collapsed into tears when all that followed was silence. He bit his lip, he couldn't put any more ki into him, he had already put in way more than he should have.

He struggled with the fact that there was nothing he could do now. He didn't want to believe that he was powerless to help but hopelessness was already settling in.

Gohan lifted his father up by his shoulders and began to shake him. "Daddy, please! Don't leave me!" He screamed.

He tightened his grip, now hugging him, and holding him as closely as he could. "You're all I have!"

Gohan dropped out of super saiyan and shoved his head under his fathers, placing an ear to his chest. He laid down beside him with his arms wrapped above his shoulders, at the base of his neck. The rain was pouring down on top of them so fiercely, he couldn't even hear his own whimpering anymore.

Strangely, at that moment, he thought of Trunks. He pictured those strands of purple hair by the puddle, of the friend he had made before the Cell games. He remembered that although he was stressed, those final days before the Cell games were some of the happiest he'd had in a long time. Those days he and his father spent in their valley, with their spring and their apple tree they were some of the best...but they seemed so far away now. Those strands of hair he lowered back into the puddle were just strands, they were only a portion of the man they belonged to. Just like Gohan. He was just a portion of himself now. Strands of what used to be.

He continued sobbing for what felt an eternity.

And then suddenly, he heard a beat.

And felt a soft hand touch his soaked hair.

He heard that voice he thought he'd never hear again. "J-jack?..."

Gohan pulled his head away from his father, tears were streaming down his cheeks but the rain absorbed them quickly, he had the biggest most genuine smile plastered across his face as he looked at his conscious father. "Goku!" He said excitedly, quickly placing his head back on to his father's chest just so he could hear the constant rhythmic beat of his heart. Its pleasant and strong thumping caused his smile to grow even wider.

Goku smiled and weakly hugged Gohan back. "I'm so glad you're okay..."

There was that selfless concern as always.

"I found that monster...the one that killed Krillin...while we were fighting the first time...he said was going to go after other fighters. After I lost, he knocked me out...and when I woke up...I thought he'd gone after you... Master Roshi...all of our friends. I found him a little while ago...and I beat him...but I didn't know if he'd already hurt you or not."

The rain began to let up.

Gohan didn't know what to say, maybe it was just because he was injured, but his father didn't seem upset with him at all. In fact, he still seemed so concerned for him. How was that even possible?

"Goku I'm so sorry. I ruined everything." he said.

"Jack-"

Gohan refused to let him speak. "No, it's all my fault. I never should have lied and I never should keep things from you. Krillin dying...it's my fault."

"You didn't know Jack...You couldn't have done anything." Goku paused. "You just...wanted some dinner." he said with a weak laugh.

Gohan smiled faintly but it didn't last. "And then I left you Goku. Y-you asked me to help you, you needed me to help you, but I just wouldn't listen. I just ran away."

"It's okay...I'm not angry."

Gohan heard him, but he didn't listen, choosing to focus on how he could fix things instead. "Goku,I promise I'll never lie to you again." he said. "Never."

"Thank you, Jack." Goku replied, allowing silence to then fill the air for a moment. "H-hey...do you have any water?"

"I'm sorry, I don't." Gohan gently pulled away from Goku. "Can you walk?"

Goku tried to sit up and as he lifted his back, that shallow wound widened and blood began dripping out. "I don't think so." He laid back down. "I wish I had some water... I'm so thirsty..."

Gohan scooped his arms beneath his father's legs and back, lifting him up easily. "Hold on Goku, we'll go to Korins and get you fixed up."

"But that monster...destroyed nimbus...a-and Korin's so far away...It'll take us hours to run there..." Goku said just before Gohan kicked off the ground and began flying towards the tower.

Although he was exhausted and had trouble even moving, Goku couldn't help but be energetic. His eyes widened and he looked in wonder, turning his head towards the ground which continued to get farther away. "Wow!" Goku exclaimed. "You can fly? Like Tien and Chiaotzu?"

Gohan blushed, "Yeah, I've been able to fly ever since I was five."

"So when I asked you...if you were hiding your strength...you were, right?"

"Y-yes." Gohan admitted shamefully.

"Jack please, don't be sad...I was just asking."

Gohan didn't respond, choosing to look in front of them so he could more clearly guide. He noticed his father was brainstorming a question, and it usually didn't take him this long to ask something, so either it was uncomfortable or very complex.

Then Goku spoke, "Jack, I know you're trying to be more honest...and I don't want to upset you...but please, I need to know...how do you know Piccolo?"


	37. Chapter 37: Are You Scared?

Gohan hated that he asked that question, it was a perfectly justifiable one to ask, but an incredibly difficult one to answer. Goku, covering the slash across his chest, looked surprisingly patient for someone who seemed like they could fall unconscious at any moment.

"Goku, can I answer that when we get to Korins? I need some time to think of how I can explain that to you." Gohan waited for an annoyed response from his father.

"That's fine Jack. Besides, I don't know if I would listen very well...I'm just so thirsty, I can't think straight."

Gohan looked worriedly at his father "Hold on Goku, we're almost there, just a little bit longer okay?"

Goku tilted his head so he could get a good look at the ground. "Yeah..." He could tell the forests below were part of the land of Korin. "I remember...when we first came to Korin's tower...and I climbed it to get the sacred water...I was so surprised that the guardian was a kitty...he said he wouldn't train me if I kept petting him."

Gohan could hear his father's voice grow weaker, but he tried his best not to panic. He busied himself by glancing around the area, and just as he'd hoped, he could see the tower's outline coming into view. "There! Goku, look, can you see the tower?"

Goku further shifted his body, he smiled when he saw the marbly white pillar far in the distance. "It's been three years since we've seen him. I wonder if he's still-" He suddenly grabbed his chest and winced, more blood was leaking out from the wound which prompted Gohan to flip him back over, leaning Goku towards himself.

"Still just as fluffy..." Goku said weakly.

If his voice weakening wasn't enough to panic over, the amount of blood leaking out his wound sure was. Clearly, this wound was far more serious than Gohan first thought. "Please stay still Goku." He said caringly. "Once we get there we'll get you a senzu bean and you'll be good as new."

Goku, trying to minimize the bleeding, relaxed as much as he could. "Mm-hmm..."

Gohan continued observing the wound until he set foot on Korin's observation deck where he wasted no time with introductions and hastily made his way down the stairs.

"Korin, did you find any beans?" Gohan asked as he touched the stone floor. He looked around but surprisingly, there was no cat to be seen. "Korin?" he called.

With a loud creak, the door of a large wooden wardrobe opened and Korin stepped out. "Yeah, yeah I've got em'. Two to be specific."

Gohan sat Goku up against the wall by the staircase, a poor move that sent more blood spilling from his chest. Korin quickly flicked one senzu bean over to Goku and the other over to Gohan, who placed it firmly within his sash belt.

Goku, on the other hand, stuffed his senzu in his mouth and swallowed it whole. He lifted his hand up to his chest, gliding his fingers over the gash, feeling the wound already beginning to close. When his body seemed finished with the healing process he pounded his chest triumphantly. "Good as new!" he exclaimed, rising to his feet.

Goku walked over to Gohan and placed a hand on his shoulder. "So Jack, now that we're here could you tell-...wait." Goku walked over to the window and peaked his head over the side, it was suddenly pitch black outside. "It's not night time yet so why is it so dark?"

Like an alarm, something sounded in the back of Goku's head. "Did someone summon the dragon?!" he exclaimed.

Korin dropped his staff and hurriedly waddled over to the window and stood next to Goku. "Something isn't right!"

Korin felt the dragon's energy hundreds of miles away, he searched diligently for kis nearby but Gohan's fluctuating energy became too distracting. "Jack, I can't sense them with your ki like that, what are you doing?!"

"Sense? Sense what?" Goku asked concernedly.

Korin looked back, Gohan looked like he'd been turned to stone. "What's wrong?! Who is over there?!"

Gohan was in utter disbelief. There were four power levels near the dragon. Three were good and one was evil, and Gohan was familiar with all of them. He sensed the malignant, cancerous, and deathly ki emanating from King Piccolo; it was very strong compared to the rest of the kis there, and it was continuing to grow stronger.

He felt his heart sink.

Like a flickering flame, he felt Master Roshi's ki fade slowly, and then all at once. Next came Chiaotzu, who disappeared immediately, and without a trace. As for Tien, his power level had been subdued, by what, Gohan didn't know, but somehow he was still alive.

Gohan angrily clenched his fists, he didn't know any of this would happen, but he should have been there to stop it. He should have been there for them like he should have been there for Krillin. He couldn't help but hate himself even more now for running away. He knew, from the deepest part of himself, that if he hadn't run, at least Master Roshi and Chiaotzu would still be here.

"I-it was Master Roshi...and Chiaotzu," Gohan said. He could already visualize the oncoming look of pain that would soon plague his father's face; the image he created in his mind was already heartbreaking and caused Gohan's guilt to grow even further. "Piccolo...h-he just killed them."

"W-what?" Goku asked, his voice filled with hurt and confusion.

"Are you sure Jack?" Korin asked.

Gohan turned away to hid his face, he didn't want to cry now but the temptation felt overwhelming. He answered the question with a nod, any words said would probably just drive him closer to tears. He couldn't get the mental picture of Master Roshi out of his head. The gentle old hermit who he had entrusted with his secrets three years ago had just suffered the worst of all fates.

"What are you guys talking about?" Goku asked, walking in front of Gohan. "Jack, please tell me what's going on!"

Goku could see Gohan's face, he had closed his eyes to lower the risk of this turning into another crying fit and was repeatedly clearing them of any tears that formed. " Korin and I c-can sense energies from v-very far away." Gohan paused, trying to muster the strength to continue to speak clearly. "Master Roshi and C-Chiaoztu were just killed by Piccolo."

The reality began to sink in for Goku, his instinctive reaction was to push those softer emotions down, he'd have to deal with them later because now was the time for action, and he couldn't feel anymore enraged. "That monster won't get away with this!" he stated. "Jack are you strong enough to beat him?"

Gohan opened his eyes, he could see how much his father wanted to go right now, for the two of them to go claim their vengeance now, but he couldn't do it. "I am Goku, but I can't fight him."

"Why not?!" Goku surprisedly asked, suspicious of his answer.

"Because Goku, I don't know how it will change things in the future. I can't have too large of an impact or I might change something too important and risk the dragon not being able to send me home." Gohan hesitantly said, worried about how his father would take in this information, and expecting some hurtful criticism.

Goku quickly turned to Korin. "Master Korin, is there any way for me to become strong enough to beat Piccolo? Any way at all?"

Korin grasped his staff and lifted it from the ground, grunting as he straightened his back, his tone had noticeably changed from the time they arrived there, he was much grimmer than before. "There is one way," he said. "Ultra divine water."

"Ultra divine water?" Goku asked.

Korin walked around the two boys, heading towards the staircase that led down to the lowest floor of the tower. "Follow me." he said hoarsely.

Goku got directly behind Korin and followed closely behind him as they descended the stairs. Once they reached the bottom floor, they could see hundreds of pots stacked on top of each other, some neatly and others very haphazardly.

"Most of the time, my pots are used for storage. I've done some basic magic on a couple of them, like the pot that allows me to see into the future, but this one..." Korin said as they reached a circular clearing with a single pot sitting in the center. "This is something else."

He gently lifted the lid off of the pot and a rush of cold air came whistling out.

"This place appeared within my pot over two hundred years ago. I'm not sure where it is, but it is colder than anywhere else on Earth, no matter what season, time of day, or year. I journeyed inside once and was there for what I believe to be nineteen hours. Throughout that time I searched through a maze of ice, hoping to find what had caused that place to appear in my pot to begin with. But I found nothing. The only thing I found was a table and a tea set sitting within a dark room. I entered cautiously, which is when a voice called out to me. It said, 'Sit and drink from the ultra divine water if you dare. For only the pure of heart will survive to experience its power.' Now, I know I am not pure of heart, everyone's got their vices, but I was tempted to drink it. I got near it and sat in the chair only to lose my nerve and leave as fast as I could."

"Do you think the voice was telling the truth?" Goku asked.

Korin nodded. "I do."

"Then it's worth a shot." Goku said, placing his hands on the pot and preparing to lift himself into it.

"Hold it Goku!" Korin said, pulling Goku by his shirt off of the pot. "You're really going to go in there by yourself? At least take Jack with you!"

Goku looked towards Gohan, who quickly turned away. "I-I'd just get in the way."

Goku made it a point to walk out in front of him. And although Gohan was trying to avert his eyes in every way possible, Goku knew the meaning behind that look. He looked like he was trying and failing to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, being crushed by its unbearable burden. Goku stuffed him in between his arms. "Jack, stop feeling so guilty, I hate seeing you like this. It's not your fault that you didn't know about Krillin, and us losing Master Roshi and Chiaotzu has nothing to do with you either."

"But, Goku- I-"

"No." Goku said, tightening his hold on Gohan. "No more blaming yourself. You're trying your best to do what's right, and that's all anyone should ever ask you to do."

He rubbed his back affectionately. "You can't be everywhere at once Jack, no one can. The best thing for you to do now is to come and help me so I can defeat Piccolo. After that, we'll collect the dragon balls again and bring everyone back. I promise."

In the forest, after he had fled from the tournament, Gohan selfishly prayed he'd be held like this once more, and hearing his father's voice and his reassuring words was more than he could have hoped for, or what he believed he deserved. He relaxed his head, resting it on Goku's shoulder once again. His soft, genuine, honest words were like an antidote for all ailments, even the guilt he now carried for Roshi, Krillin, and Chiaotzu's deaths.

He now knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that his father truly was incorruptible, all-forgiving, and absolutely good. If he can forgive him for all of his failures, and all of his lies, and all of his shortcomings now, then who's to say that he wouldn't in the future? A small piece of him doubted this logic, despite its solidity. Perhaps he'd feel differently if he knew who Gohan actually was; if he knew he was his son. Gohan pushed these doubts away and out of his mind, he'd buy into the idea that made him happy for now, even if it might not be the truth.

"Thank you, Goku." Gohan whispered. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

"I'm here for you, always." Goku said with a confidence that would make anyone believe it was written in stone. "Now let's go get that water."

Gohan's spirits had been lifted beyond measure. "Right." He said with a smile.

They both uncoupled and looked towards Korin, who they'd hoped would have some further instruction.

"So you're both going?" He asked rhetorically. "Good, because once you enter, you will climb out into a large cave, you need to stay very close after leaving it. You'll find that the longer you're in there, the more confusing everything gets."

Goku nodded and placed his hands on top of the pot, eager to hop in.

"Before you two enter there's one more thing I must tell you: You know how I said I thought I spent nineteen hours in there? Well, when I eventually climbed out, three days had passed. So, once you enter, be quick because the time distortion could be worse. I haven't ever gone back in to check."

Gohan silently gulped, it was stressful enough that they needed to get this water soon, but now that he knew time would go even faster outside, it worried him more. Still, he remained confident that his father would lead them the right way.

Goku, with his hands still on the pot, turned his head to Korin. "Thank you, Korin, we won't let you down."

"I know." Korin said. "Now climb in there and stop wasting time. You've got a demon to beat."

Goku lifted himself and dropped in legs first, an echoed 'oof' could be heard when he hit the ice.

Korin tapped Gohan's back lightly, nudging him towards the cold opening of the pot. "Go on kid. He'll never make it alone."

Gohan gripped the sides of the pot and jumped in. He fell into complete darkness, and when he looked up he could see the opening of the pot drift further into the distance until it became so small, he lost sight of it entirely. He felt a shift in gravity, what was down had just become forward, and his head, along with his back, slammed onto the floor made of solid ice.

He groaned and felt the back of his head with his palm. Everything felt okay, a little pain but no blood, just a little bump where his head hit the floor. He sat up and looked around, wherever he was, it was pitch black and ridiculously cold.

He tried to sense for his father's ki, but despite his best efforts, he couldn't focus in on him. It felt like there was some interference with his senses, like an irritating hum sprouting from nowhere and everywhere at once. Whatever it was, it made ki searching unbearable, so he quickly stopped.

"Goku?" he called out, hearing his voice echo against the unseeable environment.

Gohan heard his father's voice echo as well."I'm here...where are you?"

"Hold on." Gohan began charging up his ki to provide some light. "Can you see me?" he asked.

A response reverberated."No. Can you see me?"

Gohan focused his ki a little bit more, and noticed the hum return, although it was much more bearable. He looked around and was surprised by how effectively he lit up the area. It seemed to be much brighter than when he tried the same thing at Gero's laboratory. He glanced around the room and noticed the walls were made completely of ice, he nodded, that would explain why it was much brighter in there, light bounces much better off of ice than stone. He looked towards the ceiling which confirmed his suspicion, he was inside some sort of cavern, as evidenced by the wavey yet smooth roof structure.

Gohan spoke clearly at a volume just above his normal speaking voice. "I can't, but stay where you are. We're in a cave just like Korin said so once I find you, we need to stick together."

In front of him he could see two paths: The one on the left bent at an angle, and the one on the right went straight. He waited to hear his father's response, he'd make his decision based on where his voice sounded like it was coming from.

"Okay, but let me know if I can do anything." Goku said, his voice sounding more distant than before.

Gohan tried his best to pin down where his voice was coming from, but it was so distant it was nearly impossible to tell. He tapped his foot anxiously on the icy floor, he didn't know which way to take. He walked up to the left passage and looked around the corner, after the bend it seemed to go straight, like the other path, but in a different direction. He backed away from the left passage's entrance and stepped into the right ones.

For some reason, he felt a sense of foreboding from this direction, it made him uneasy and he quickly went into the left passage without a second thought. "Goku, can you hear me any better?" he asked.

A significantly louder voice met him. "Yeah, you sound like you're getting closer."

Gohan continued forward and found that, although he hadn't lowered his ki at all, his light wasn't reaching as far as before. He ran his fingers along the walls as he passed them, they were still ice, but they weren't white like the walls before, they were black, clouded by some unknown material.

He could see the archway at the end of the passage and started into a jog to get there faster. When he passed it, his footsteps echoed much louder than before, apparently, this portion of the cavern was much larger than the previous.

"Jack?" Goku asked, startling Gohan as he appeared from the dark. "You're glowing! How are you doing that?"

"It's something you can do with your energy Goku, but it requires a lot of focus and training." Gohan said, his voice echoing off the cavern walls.

"That's so cool!" Goku said. "You'll have to teach me how to do that."

"Maybe sometime Goku, but right now we've gotta' get a move on. If we're here too long we might not be able to get back in time to stop Piccolo."

Goku agreed and the pair began circling around the chamber-like room, looking for anything of value. It didn't take them long to find a small sliver of ice, that angled upwards in the form of a steep staircase.

The two began to climb, expecting it to be a short path to another floor, but it continued on for far longer. To Gohan's surprise, that humming noise he had been hearing for quite a while now had begun to intensify.

Step after step the humming grew louder and the walls grew darker, absorbing more of Gohan's light with every passing second.

Goku walked near the edge of the slim staircase, attempting to look over the side. "It's kind of weird in here isn't it Jack?"

Gohan crossed his arms and was surprised he even needed to do so, his ki had been able to keep him warm for years, but in here, everything just seemed to drain the warmth from him. "It's not nice, that's for sure."

Goku got closer to the stairs' edge and was now practically walking on top of it. "No, like, doesn't it just feel weird to be in here? And that humming, it's driving me crazy."

"You hear that too?"

"Yeah. It makes me feel weird. I don't like it at all."

"What do you mean by weird Goku?" Gohan asked.

Goku stepped away from the edge, choosing to stick closer to Gohan as they climbed further. "Well, I've never really been afraid of the dark, Grampa trained me to be okay in lots of places, but this isn't like any place I've ever seen before. There's no wind, or birds, or animals, or people. Just walls, the dark, and that grumbly humming."

Gohan couldn't believe it but it sounded like Goku was expressing genuine fear. He could only count a handful of times that emotion was even applicable to his father.

"Are you scared Goku?" he asked.

"Maybe." Goku paused. "I don't really know. Are you?"

"No, but I was when we weren't together." Gohan motioned towards the wall behind them. "Back the way I came, there was a passage that went straight and I don't know why, but something told me I shouldn't go that way. It made me feel uneasy."

Gohan squinted, just at the edge of his vision, he could see the end of the staircase, he would have felt relief had the humming not grown even louder when they reached the top. He looked over at Goku, who seemed bothered by it, but nowhere near as much as him.

At this volume, the gurgly hum sounded more like screeching, it was now bordering on the line of pain. Gohan covered his ears and lost focus on his energy.

Goku immediately took notice that something was wrong. "Jack are you alright?"

Suddenly the screeching quieted a little. Keeping his ears covered, he lowered his ki further, inadvertently dissolving any light they had, but also quieting the noise.

He uncovered his ears when the screeching had returned to the hum. "Goku, I think if we focus our energy the hum gets worse."

"But I haven't been using any energy at all and it's louder than it was at the bottom of the stairs."

Gohan nodded, although Goku couldn't see it. "Right, I also think it's a way of telling us we're heading in the right direction, either that or the wrong one. And since we've climbed all the way up here, do you want to try and look around for another passage?"

"Yeah, I don't like that noise but going back down all those stairs would be a big waste of time." he said.

Goku searched for Gohan's hand and held it when he found it, placing his other hand out in front of him and onto the curved icy wall. "I don't want to lose you so I'm going to hold your hand while we search. I'll feel with my left, you feel with your right, okay?"

Gohan placed his right hand on the wall. "Okay."

The two walked counter-clockwise, following the wall as it curved circularly. As they walked, Gohan felt a small indentation in the wall, something his father was likely to miss. "Hold on." he said, exploring the linear cut across the ice. "There's a small dip in the ice, it feels like the side of a door."

"You want to try and push it open?" Goku asked.

Gohan stepped back and placed his right hand against the wall. "Yeah, ready when you are."

"One, two, three!" Goku said, pushing the ice to the side in tandem with Gohan.

The large ice block scraped the floor as it was forced to the right side. The pair stepped through the doorway and into a tunnel, in the distance, there was a bright light that hurt their eyes as they adjusted to it.

The two began walking towards it, still holding hands, and as they approached they saw that where the tunnel ended, there was no roof; that light they were seeing was daylight. The two quickly reached the end of the tunnel and peaked their heads out into the warm light of the sun, warm being relative considering they were in the freezing cold, but still, it was nicer than the darkness of the cavern.

Out in front of them, they saw a long jagged bridge made solely of ice. Gohan let go of his father's hand and walked to a piece of the bridge that jutted out, he wanted to look over the side. Goku joined him and they both stared into the endless foggy abyss below them. Gohan, having satisfied his curiosity, stepped away and looked back towards the cave. It looked microscopic in comparison to the massive glacier it was carved into. Gohan focused his vision, looking upwards to try and find the top, but it was so tall it even reached above the clouds. This place certainly was like nothing he'd ever seen before, in fact, he'd even go as far as to call it mesmerizing.

Goku grabbed his hand again. "C'mon Jack, let's go." he said gently.

Gohan nodded and the two began taking their first steps across the bridge.


	38. Chapter 38: Bookkeeper

The sun that had been so welcoming just a few minutes ago had now disappeared. The innumerable white clouds hanging above them had snuffed it out and kept it hidden away.

Gohan looked behind them, he could no longer see the cave nor the mountainous glacier it was carved into; a new fog now covered both of them, hiding them just as efficiently as the clouds did the sun.

The two continued to walk, only being able to see a couple of yards worth of bridge out in front of them, and a few feets worth behind them. The icy bridge seemed endless, it was easily much longer than the staircase they climbed and far tougher to deal with, mostly due to the wind which was a constant bother. It constantly blew bits of snow and dry air into their eyes, mildly irritating the both of them.

There was some good news, or at least possible good news: The humming had died down to an ignorable level, even sometimes blending in with the sound of the wind. Still, neither got too comfortable with the relative calmness of the situation.

The fog ahead of them thickened and as they entered, the wind mysteriously silenced itself. Neither could see the other so they focused on listening to the environment, rather than trying to see it. The only clear sounds were the very quiet humming and their footsteps across the snow-dusted ice.

A chill ran down Goku's back. "Be careful Jack." He squeezed Gohan's hand. "I don't like how quiet things just got."

"Yeah..." Gohan said. "I'll stick close."

Though they could not see it, they could hear the ice crack slightly beneath their feet, something that definitely wasn't happening earlier. They stepped slowly and carefully for the next few minutes.

Suddenly, Gohan felt his father's hand pull him down to the floor.

"Woah!" Goku cried as he was now dangling off the bridge.

Gohan quickly pulled him back up and felt with his foot where his father had fallen. There were a few worn protruding ice crystals along this unexpected edge. Gohan reached his leg out beyond that and there was nothing.

"Goku, are you okay?" Gohan asked worriedly, still unable to see Goku.

Goku responded calmly, "I'm fine, but what was that?"

"I think the bridge collapsed here." Gohan paused, feeling out the uneven edge of the bridge.

"Do you think it's broken all the way across?"

"I'm not sure..." Gohan replied, "But we should check."

Gohan led the way as they began to move from the left side over to the right, and although he knew the bridge wasn't too wide, he knew it was a daunting task to accomplish completely blind.

As they thoroughly checked the bridge, Gohan prayed for there to be some sort of small portion of the bridge left intact. They had come this far and to travel all the way back to the cave would not only be miserable but incredibly time-consuming, not to mention the only path they'd have left to explore was that passage, and Gohan hated the thought of doing that.

They had made it about three-quarters of the way across the bridge when Gohan felt a portion extend out past the rest of the ice.

"Goku, I think I found it!" he said excitedly.

Goku laughed happily. "That's great Jack! Lead the way!"

Gohan placed his foot down carefully on the narrow strip of ice, slowly adding his weight onto it. The sound of ice cracking became apparent, but it didn't sound severe enough to stop. Eventually, after slowly strategizing each step, Gohan and Goku were both shimmying across the slim strip of ice.

Both moved with intense focus and precision as one wrong move would lead to one or both of them falling off. Granted, it wouldn't have been much of an issue as Gohan would have just flown them back up, but that was risky considering how difficult it was to focus any ki at all back at the staircase when the humming turned to grueling screeches.

For a moment, Gohan caught a glimpse of the bridge through the fog, it looked like it widened just up ahead of them and, when they took only a few more steps, he smiled as his eyes spoke truthfully to him. The bridge had widened out, that much was for sure, but the fog still made it difficult to tell exactly how wide it had gotten.

The ice beneath them no longer made any cracks or chipping sounds as they stepped across it so they quickened their pace only a little, still wary of the possibility that more of the bridge could be collapsed.

Goku could feel a warm hand touch his shoulder. The very quiet humming had turned to a louder, slower thumping. A hushed and unfamiliar voice whispered to him. "Hello there, Son Goku."

He quickly stopped, halting himself and Gohan as well. "Who said that?!" he yelled authoritatively.

Gohan looked in his general direction, his voice sounded concerned. "Who said what Goku? Did you hear something?"

He placed himself up against Gohan's back and stared aggressively out into the fog. The thumping had vanished and the quiet hum had returned. "Someone just said my name, Jack. Whoever it is, they're right behind us, I felt them touch my shoulder."

Gohan tried to search for energies but as he raised his ki to search for anyone, the humming rapidly mutated into long and ear-piercing screeches. And only after a second of scanning, he was forced to drop his ki back down to nothing. Still, in that singular second, he didn't sense anyone or anything for that matter. The only living creatures he could sense were his father and himself.

"Are you sure? I tried sensing for them but I can't feel anyone nearby."

Goku's eyes darted around the fog, looking for any forms that even resembled a person. "I'm sure."

Gohan didn't doubt him, if he heard someone, then someone was definitely out there. But their position right now wasn't good. If he couldn't see, sense, or hear whoever they were about to face, then how could he fight them?

He leaned his head back against his fathers and dropped his voice to a whisper. "Goku, we have to move fast. We need to get whoever's following us out in the open and from there we can figure out if they're friendly or not."

"Right. Just keep holding my hand while we run, okay? We can't lose each other, especially not now." He paused, thinking he heard a noise, but as silence filled the air he dismissed it and started whispering again. "When I squeeze your hand, we start running."

Goku waited a moment more, he couldn't be sure if he was hearing something or if he was mistaking some minor ambient noise for something more significant. Either way, they were vulnerable here and the clock was ticking. He squeezed lightly and the two began sprinting.

For a few minutes, the pair ran blindly through a sea of white, unaware that at this pace they were making amazing progress in crossing the bridge. Suddenly, like a wall, they broke through the edge of the fog. Gohan at the dense, cloudy mass behind them and, unaware that the ice below them had just become slick, he fell. Just before he could begin to pull him down too, Gohan let go of his father's hand and began to slide across the ice.

Goku could see a gap in the bridge just ahead of them and tried his best to slow himself down, even falling back on the floor and pushing his hands against the ice for extra friction so he could match Gohan's slower speed. Despite his best efforts, they were still rapidly approaching the edge and when Gohan passed him, he reached out and grabbed his arm. Using his free hand, he focused his ki and jammed his fingers into the ice, only at the cost of a seconds worth of mind-scrambling screeching.

Passed the gap, they could see two large four-sided obelisks constructed of deep blue ice, they were guarding an entrance carved into another impossibly large glacier. With the adrenaline pumping, both wasted no time in jumping over the gap and continuing to run until they reached the entrance.

Standing near the obelisks to obscure themselves, the two looked back towards the faraway fog. It simultaneously covered its portion bridge and spilled off the sides of it, melting everything it touched into its ambiguous self. But up until that unclear border, they were certain that the bridge was clear. Whoever, or whatever, was following them clearly decided they weren't worth the trouble of leaving the fog.

Goku stood up from behind the obelisks cubic base, somewhat confident that they were in the clear. He walked over to Gohan, who was still crouched around the obelisk looking towards the fog and helped him to his feet.

"Are you okay Jack? You fell a lot harder than I did." he asked.

Gohan frowned, he didn't register that as his father asking if he was okay, more like, why did he fall? "I'm sorry Goku, t-that was my fault. I shouldn't have been looking behind me...I should have been focused on where I was going."

"You don't need to say you're sorry, I just want to know if you're hurt. We're in this together and I need you just as much as you need me, so if something doesn't feel good, tell me."

Gohan unnecessarily felt his lower spine, there was a little pain but it was easily ignorable. "I feel fine."

Goku smiled. "Good." He looked over at the massive archway leading into the glacier. "Then let's figure out where this place goes."

Gohan nodded and followed closely as Goku led them past the entrance. Light filled the majority of the cave, but it illuminated less and less as the two approached a large circular door. The door itself wasn't much to look at, just another large block of ice in their way, but when Gohan looked at what surrounded the door he was captivated by it immediately. Around the edges of the frame, immaculate and heroic images were carved into the ice. Separated into squares, every image seemed to tell a different story.

Some were fantastical, featuring men built like statues struggling valiantly against much larger beasts. Others were more spiritual, containing many angelic figures and perhaps a few interpretations of a kai, although, Gohan couldn't be sure as he'd never met one before. He studied one, in particular, it featured a sort of dichotomy between a holy, righteous looking angel that floated above a horned demon. The demon seemed intimidated and averted its eyes from the angel in an attempt to hide its fear.

"What do you think all this is?" Goku asked, staring blankly at one of the carvings.

Gohan stepped back from the image he was focused on. "They look like stories Goku, but... I don't know why they're here."

Goku walked to the middle of the door and would have tried to push it open had it not begun to lift by itself. As it rose the hum once again quieted and the slower, more rhythmic thumping returned. "I guess that means we're going the right way." Goku mused.

Although quiet at first, the door eventually began to scrape against the frame above it and by the time it was halfway open, it sounded like something just snapped, like the old gears moving the door had just shattered. Clearly, something was wrong because, after that snap, the door fell back down. It left just barely enough space for one person to crawl in at a time.

"That wasn't good." Gohan said.

"Yeah, but at least we can still get through." Goku crouched down and lowered his head to the floor. Beyond the bottom of the thick ice door, he couldn't see a thing. He raised his head back up and looked at Gohan. "I'll go first okay?"

Gohan nodded. "Okay."

Goku laid flat on the ground, using his arms to push himself under the door. When he got past it he reached his hand back under the door, motioning for Gohan to come through.

Gohan laid down and crawled to the door but just before he could get beneath, it slammed shut, sending tiny particles of powderized ice floating into the air.

Goku quickly stood up and placed himself against the icy door. "Jack!" he yelled, his voice now echoing along the walls and screaming right back at him. "Can you hear me?"

He began to pull up the ice as hard as he could, mustering every bit of strength he had to try and lift it, but repeatedly, his fingers just slipped out from wherever he'd put them. And that obnoxious thumping was now as loud as war drums, yet it didn't discourage him, if anything it's painful volume motivated him to try harder.

He lifted again and the war drums pounded even louder now, he thought he'd even started to lift it, but then his fingers slipped and he fell backward.

He was breathing heavily while he sat there, he'd try again in a minute but he needed to catch his breath first, the amount of effort he just put into that had just made him light-headed.

The drums halted as something spoke to him from deeper within the cave. "A good effort, Son Goku."

Goku jumped into his stance, his back to the door, and faced the voice's direction. "Who's there?!"

"Who?" the voice asked, coming from every direction at once. "Yes, who..." It repeated. "What an interesting question."

"I'm being serious!" Goku stated hostilely.

"I know you are." the voice remarked. "And I also know why you have come to this place."

"You do?" Goku asked skeptically.

"Yes, you have come for the ultra divine water. Am I correct?"

Goku, still unsure of the voice's true intentions, decided it was best to go along with it for now. "Yes, I need it so I can beat Piccolo and bring my friends back to life. Can you help me?"

"You know, you are rather interesting Goku. I've been waiting for someone of your caliber for a long, long time. Did you get a chance to see the carvings around the door?"

"I didn't look at them too much." Goku stated, slightly off-put by the voices strange deep and overly pronounced way of speaking.

"Oh, that is a shame, although your friend Jack did seem quite interested in them. I wonder if he is done trying to break through the ice yet."

Goku felt immediate protective anger. "You leave him out of this! He just came in here to help me!"

"Do not mistake my intentions, I have no reason to harm either of you. After all, I chose to make your journey here one of the easiest and safest possible."

"Then open the door and make it easier on everyone!" Goku demanded.

The voice's tone changed dramatically. "No Goku!" It shouted, sounding absolutely enraged. "You and I have a business to attend to!... Your 'friend' is perfectly fine waiting out there for now." A soft orange light became visible farther into the cave and the voice composed itself. "Previously, you asked who I am, but to tell you the truth Goku, I am not necessarily anyone at all. If anything, aside from the guardian of the ultra divine water, I am a bookkeeper. I record and catalog all of the great heroic stories throughout time. And, might I say, your story has the potential of being one of the greatest...if you are wise enough not to question me." The voice paused. "Now please, follow the light."

Reluctantly, Goku left the door and began walking towards the orange light reflecting off the icy walls.

The voice continued speaking as Goku walked. "The water will judge your purity, but the outcome is already well known to me and so I wish to share a few things with you first."

"Why?" Goku asked, more suspicious than intrigued.

"To broaden your perspective. To help you see the bigger picture if you will."

The voice stopped as Goku came upon a room with a small fire crackling in the center of it. Off to the edges of the room were seven corridors, all leading in different directions.

"Sit by the fire Son Goku, and I will share with you a bit of truth."

Goku, despite hating the thought of just sitting down and relaxing in front of a warm fire while Gohan froze outside, sat down and crossed his legs.

"Stare into the smoke. What do you see?"

Goku squinted and the black smoke that rose above the orange flames of the fire changed little by little. Hints of grey and brown laid out an environment. Figures began to form. He could see a boy with golden hair, he was in a purple gi, holding his bleeding left arm. He knew that face, it was unmistakably Gohan. He was looking towards someone tall and imposing, with a long pair of beetle-like wings. Goku's mind began going to work deciphering what this was exactly, he thought back to the first few days he'd met Gohan, and remembered his story about the monster that had killed his father.

"I-is this the future?" Goku asked, now more trusting of the voice than before.

"Yes, do you recognize anything...or perhaps, anyone?"

"My friend, Jack, his hair's all yellow but...that's him." Goku said. He lifted his hand and pointed towards the green creature. "Is this the monster that killed his father? He told me a story about it a long time ago, but, after the tournament, I didn't know if it really happened or not."

"It did."

Goku felt a deep shame for what he'd accused Gohan of at the tournament. He knew Gohan had kept Piccolo a secret for some reason, but, how could he doubt everything else he told him? Especially because most of the things Gohan ever shared with him were emotional and painful secrets. Why would he lie about that?

Goku pictured Gohan crying at the tournament, he envisioned himself standing there, yelling at him for something he didn't have any control over whatsoever, all while Gohan was trying to hug and apologize to him. He imagined how painful it must have been for him to hear those accusations, to hear his closest friend in the whole world berate him. He hated that he did that.

"Keep your mind in the present Son Goku. You will have time for thinking later."

Goku looked back at the smoke and it began to change, it was morphing into another image. This time he could see a large man with golden hair, his face was obscured by the angle he was standing at. Goku looked at his gi and noted the similar color, he tried to look for the school's symbol but the smoke ate some of the detail away from the image, making it harder to focus on its finer aspects. The man moved his hand and touched his temple with two fingers. The image faded as the man disappeared.

"Did you recognize that man, Son Goku?" The voice asked.

"That's Jack's father isn't it?"

"That is correct. But do you know who he is?"

Goku scratched his head and sighed. "No...do I know him?"

"In a way, Son Goku, you do." Goku could hear the voices smile behind those words. "I think that is enough for now, let us travel to the water. Take the middle path, it will take time but it will lead you to the tea set."

* * *

Gohan hurled his fist against the door, as he had been doing for the past fifteen minutes. He had tried everything, even using that new form of Super Saiyan to try and break through it, but nothing was working. And that damn noise was now the worst it had ever been, forcing him to stop his efforts. He defeatedly sat with his back against the door, he, like his father, had exerted a lot of energy in a very short time span trying to open it.

He jumped when he heard someone speak to him. "Sorry to have you wait out here in this most unfriendly of climates." Gohan stood and looked around for whoever was speaking to him. "But it is meant to be unfriendly. It deters the weak-willed and the immoral, although, they rarely get the opportunity to come here."

"Who are you?" Gohan asked as he looked around the room. "Were you the person on the bridge with us earlier?"

"Ah, so similar you are to your father. Yet so different. So much more analytical and attentive. Perhaps that is why I find your story even more interesting."

"You know my father?" Gohan asked, unsure of what kind of response he'd receive.

"Yes I do, like Korin, I know who you are Son Gohan. But my understanding of you is far better than his."

"Your understanding?"

"That is what I said. I understand everything about you my friend, including your innermost desires and most dreadful of fears."

Gohan felt a wave of nervous angst come over him, from the way this entity spoke to him it sounded like it was definitely otherwordly. "What are you?" Asked Gohan. "I felt for your ki earlier on the bridge but..."

"I am not living, Son Gohan. You cannot sense me as I do not necessarily have a physical presence, although I could manifest a form if I wanted to."

"I-Is this your home?"

"In a way it is. Although it is more akin to a library than a home, as you can see by the carvings I appreciate good stories." The voice paused as Gohan looked back towards the carvings. "These are just my favorites, the rest are recorded elsewhere."

The voice laughed unnaturally. "Oh my, we're getting so off track...The reason that I speak to you now, rather than open the door and allow you through, is because, just as I have done for your father, I wish to show you a bit of truth."

"I'm sorry but I really don't have time. My father and I are trying to find the ultra divine water to-"

"To help save your friends, I am aware. I still insist that you listen to me because after some enlightenment I will lead you to the ultra divine water myself."

"You know where it is?"

"Of course I do!" the voice assured. "I am its guardian."

* * *

Hey everybody, sorry to leave a message at the end of your reading, but just to preface things, this message will be deleted in a week or two to make future reading experiences more fluid.

I have a question to ask: How would you guys feel if I rewrote the first couple of chapters? I'm not necessarily unhappy with them but they are much shorter than my chapters are now. Did you not mind the less experienced style of my earlier work? Did you guys feel that the pacing in those earlier chapters was more clunky or straight-up bad? If so would you like me to expand on the chapters and try to make them a little longer and slow down the pace? If you do have an opinion and feel like expressing it to me please DM me, I'd love to hear how you feel.

I would also like to thank you all for reading thus far. We are definitely getting into the later portions of the story. I've really had the whole thing planned out since I began the project but seeing it come to fruition has been incredible.

I can definitely say, with confidence, that the chapters on the horizon will be my most favorite to write and I hope with all my heart they will be your most favorite to read.


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